We Can Do Anything, Together

Published:  December 10th, 2013

These Broken Stars (Starbound #1)

By: Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner

Disney Hyperion

ISBN-13:  9781423171027

It's a night like any other on board the Icarus.  Then, catastrophe strikes: the massive luxury spaceliner is yanked out of hyperspace and plummets into the nearest planet.  Lilac LaRoux and Tarver Merendsen survive.  And they seem to be alone.

Lilac is the daughter of the richest man in the universe.  Tarver comes from nothing, a young war hero who learned long ago that girls like Lilac are more trouble than they're worth.  But with only each other to rely on, Lilac and Tarver must work together, making a torturous journey across the eerie, deserted terrain seek to help.

Then, against all odds, Lilac and Tarver find a strange blessing in the tragedy that has thrown them into each other's arms.  Without the hope of a future together in their own world, they begin to wonder -- would they be better off staying here forever?

Everything changes when they uncover the truth behind the chilling whispers that haunt their every step.  Lilac and Tarver may find a way off this planet.  But they won't be the same people who landed on it.

Review

     What exactly can you say about a book that's full of so much good stuff?  And how much can I reveal without spoiling the actual details of the plot and the ending?  I guess we're about to find out!  This is a book about a boy, Tarver, and a girl, Lilac, who are from different social stratospheres - but they collide together and change one another's lives irrevocably when they do.  Lilac is a society darling, daughter of the richest man in the world and Tarver is a decorated war hero, never taken seriously due to his young age.  They meet on one of her father's luxury spaceships the Icarus, conversing and connecting with each other, before she blows him off to protect him from her father.  Then the unthinkable happens, and the ship crashes down on a planet neither of them is familiar with.  The unlikely pair is forced to overcome all their differences to survive in a strange/dangerous environment, while discovering the mystery behind the planet's seeming consciousness and why colonization of that planet was deserted.  Can Lilac and Tarver come to a solution and a rescue before it's too late?

     It's such a gradual change for both of these characters, moving from the stereotypical and boxed in personalities they have when the book starts, to unlocking their full potential.  I've seen comparisons to the Titanic's history (and I assume the infamous movie) in terms of plot, and I can see some similarites.  But once the Icarus crashes (that name has some mythological irony for sure), the majority of the book is spent on the unknown planet, with Tarver and Lilac struggling to work together.  She's dealing with the restrictions of her class in society, and the stranglehold of her father's love and power, while Tarver is dealing with the guilt of surivivng his older brother, and the honors of being a hero (which he doesn't feel he deserves).  Also, Tarver's parents are both teachers so he is WAY out of Lilac's "league."  Lilac begins to experience voices and visions, while she and Tarver are fighting to find a way off, back to civilization.  This and the interactions she and Tarver have with the terrestrial environment leads up to a startling climax that is the perfect meld of science fiction and romance.  The interludes with Tarver being interrogated by men employed by Lilac's father definitely contributed to the shock of how things fit into the puzzle!  And geez, that cliffhanger!  Can't wait to read the next one and I highly recommend it for anyone wanting something innovative, surprising and overall gripping to read.

 

VERDICT:  4/5 Star

 

**I received this book from Disney Hyperion, on NetGalley.  No favors or money were exchanged for this review.  This book was published December 10th, 2013.**

Eden Is A Place On Earth

Expected Publication:  November 5th, 2013
After Eden (After Eden # 1)
By: Helen Douglas
Bloomsbury USA Children's
ISBN-13:  9781619631304

The day Eden met Ryan changed her world forever.  Actually, not just her world.  Ryan has time traveled from the future to save the world.  In a few weeks, Eden's best friend Connor will discover a new planet -- one where human life is possible.  The discovery will make him famous.  It will also ruin the world as we know it.  When Ryan asks for Eden's help, she must choose between saving the world and saving her best friend's greatest achievement.  And a crush on Ryan complicates things more than she could have ever imagined.  Because Connor is due to make the discovery after the girl he loves breaks his heart.  That girl is Eden.

Grounded in a realistic teen world with fascinating sci-fi elements, After Eden is a heart-pounding love triangle that's perfect for dystopian fans looking for something new to devour.

Review

 

     Talk about a misleading synopsis.  That last sentence especially, when they tell you that fans of DYSTOPIA will devour this book!!!  There is absolutely zilch that is dystopian about this book (other than a ruined future).  And even then, that would be considered more post-apocalyptic and not truly dystopian.  This book is more to appeal to the sensibilities of fans of light science fiction, with fantasy elements (I never quite know how to classify time travel).  Let's just get it out there: Eden is a bit of a Mary Sue.  But while I was reading the book, I didn't really notice.  I liked the aspect of her and Ryan being friends before they got romantically involved.  Probably the best thing about this book for me though was the easy bridging of the cultural/linguistic gap between Britain and America.  Normally if I'm reading a British teen novel, the slang is so overwhelming that it gets in the way of my enjoyment, as I have absolutely NO FREAKING CLUE what's going on!  In this book, it's told straight off the bat that it's set in England, and there are some word choice differences.  But it's nothing that gets in the way of enjoying/understanding the book.  Which was awesome for me as an American.

     That said, this book was mostly focused on romance, possible romance and lack of romance, rather than the time travel aspects/planetary discovery.  Eden does not share her best friend Connor's feelings, so when he starts acting strange when Ryan enters the picture it throws off the entire balance of them being 'best friends.'  But honestly, I never really saw them being best friends in this book.  I got no background or scenes with them together than really made me understand their supposedly close relationship.  If anything, the author seems to go out of her way to make him seem like a complete douchebag.  Connor's attitude seems to be that it's okay to be friends with Eden, but if she decides to be romantically interested in someone it had better be him -- or else that friendship doesn't mean jack shit.  The rest of the group of friends, beyond Ryan & Eden & Connor, isn't really fleshed out all that much and they are pretty much just placeholders who move along the plot of the book without any actual purpose.  There were some sweet things about this book.  I liked when Eden and Ryan planted the apple tree and buried the time capsule.  Also, the conversations about Ryan not knowing what pizza is or who Hitler was were pretty funny. 

     The momentum of the plot was slow for the majority of the book, picking up a little closer towards the end.  The time travel 'cleaner' (aka hitman who takes care of anyone who might suspect anything) wasn't all that surprising in his identity.  The ending in regards to Connor's discovery of the planet he names Eden, which carries a destructive virus, was rather anticlimactic.  It also didn't hinge upon Eden as much as they'd originally thought.  The sweet romantic scene with Ryan and Eden at the end made me smile.  But I spent the majority of the book wondering how the Hell Ryan got this assignment, when he's obviously kind of a bumbling moron.  Whatever, I guess.  It was enjoyable for the piece of fluff that it is, but don't expect much in the way of actual sci-fi in the plot, there isn't really a love triangle, and THIS IS NOT A DYSTOPIAN.  Thank you!  I'd recommend if for a bit of fun, light reading.

 

VERDICT:  3/5  Stars

 

*I received this book as part of Around The World ARC Tours, run by the lovely Princess Bookie.  No favors or money were exchanged for this review.  This book's expected publication is November 5th, 2013.*



Take Me To Your Leader

Expected Publication:  February 4th, 2014

Alienated

By: Melissa Landers

Disney-Hyperion

ISBN-13:  9781423170280

Two years ago, the aliens made contact. Now Cara Sweeney is going to be sharing a bathroom with one of them. 

Handpicked to host the first-ever L’eihr exchange student, Cara thinks her future is set. Not only does she get a free ride to her dream college, she’ll have inside information about the mysterious L’eihrs that every journalist would kill for. Cara’s blog following is about to skyrocket.

Still, Cara isn’t sure what to think when she meets Aelyx. Humans and L’eihrs have nearly identical DNA, but cold, infuriatingly brilliant Aelyx couldn’t seem more alien. She’s certain about one thing, though: no human boy is this good-looking.

But when Cara's classmates get swept up by anti-L'eihr paranoia, Midtown High School suddenly isn't safe anymore. Threatening notes appear in Cara's locker, and a police officer has to escort her and Aelyx to class. 

Cara finds support in the last person she expected. She realizes that Aelyx isn’t just her only friend; she's fallen hard for him. But Aelyx has been hiding the truth about the purpose of his exchange, and its potentially deadly consequences. Soon Cara will be in for the fight of her life—not just for herself and the boy she loves, but for the future of her planet.

Review

     Cara Sweeny is looking forward to a new school year with her best friend, her awesome boyfriend (even if she's not quite as sure about him as she used to be) and her status as top in the running for valedictorian finally being attained.  Then the Principal drops the bomb on her that she's been chosen to have her family host the first interplanetary exchange, with her brother going to L'eihr and a boy named Aelyx coming to live with them.  Cara is not really all that pleased, but decides to make the best of things for the sake of the scholarship money that will get her to whatever college she wants.  So she starts a blog and gets his room ready.  When the Sweeny family brings Aelyx back to their small town, all Hell breaks loose.  With anit-L'eihr sentiment building at a rapid pace, Cara is dumped by her boyfriend and her friend who join a hate society against the aliens and gets threatening notes and assault attempts against her.  Can she and Aelyx become friends against all odds, even with all the differences between the L'eihr and the Humans?  What will they do when the violence escalates to a breaking point and forces them to make a drastic choice?

     I like the alien novels recently joining the YA canon, the most prominent of which that's coming to mind being The Luxe Series by Jennifer L. Armentrout.  As much as I love that other series, it is Roswellian in its drama and teen angst quotient.  This was almost like reading a memoir by a participant of the Little Rock Nine when they were attempting integration in 1957.  I hesitate to make that comparison, but the amount of focus and detail towards the paranoia, violence and hate directed at both Aelyx and Cara because he's from L'eihr and not Earth, reminded me eerily of the treatment of African-Americans during the Civil Rights Movement.  It wasn't all politics, thought they played an important (and well-written part).  This book also deals with serious character development in Aelyx (stereotypical cold alien at first) and Cara (epitome of the self-centered, ambitious teen girl).  Through their friendship with each other and the struggles that it brings they are transformed into people that I would be proud to know in real life.  The descriptions of L'eihr, the relationships and interactions of Aelyx with his fellow alien exchange students and the government conspiracies added some serious depth to this book too.  I loved the descriptive language and felt like it struck the perfect balance, stopping just short of overblown.  Also, the humor in this book had me laughing out loud so often that I smile just remembering it.  It was such sincere, effortless humor and the exchanges between Cara and Aelyx were high points for sure.  The chess games cracked me up, as well as her cooking attempts.  And may I just say that I sincerely hope Disney keeps this cover?  It fits the story perfectly, which is a rarity (especially in YA fiction).  Plus it's just gorgeous and eye-catching.  All in all, probably one of the best books that I will read this year and I'm definitely buying my own copy when it comes out.  This is the shining example of what the YA Science-Fiction genre can be when done right! :)  Highly recommended to anyone, hardcore fan of sci-fi or not.  Put it on your to-read list and await February anxiously!

VERDICT:  5/5  Stars

**I received this book as part of Around the World ARC Tours, run by the lovely Princess Bookie. No favors or money were exchanged for this review. This book's expected publication is February 4th, 2014.**

Somebody Save Me

Published: August 3rd, 2012

Saving Mars (Saving Mars # 1)

By: Cidney Swanson

Williams Press

ASIN: B008SULWZ6

When the food supply of Mars’ human settlement is decimated, seventeen-year-old Jessamyn Jaarda, the best pilot Mars Colonial has ever seen, flies to Earth to raid for food. Earth-Mars relations couldn’t be worse, and her brother is captured during the raid. Breaking rules of secrecy and no contact, Jess finds an ally in Pavel, nephew to a government official, but their friendship only makes more agonizing the choice before her: Save her brother or save her planet?

Review

     So anyone who follows and reads these reviews knows that I generally have a pretty obvious style.  Well, I'm breaking habit for this one because it is a very special review book minions.  It's a review for Cidney Swanson's newest book, a sci-fi adventure that takes place in the future on a colonized MARS!  Our heroine Jessamyn Jaarda wants to be a pilot more than anything, so she can fly the raiding missions to Terra and do important and adventurous things.  At the start of the novel Jess is a rule-breaker, whose biggest concern is her alter-abled brother Ethan's mental comfort and getting a piece of ice for her Mom's second birthday gift (everyone has two birthdays a year due to Mars' different rotation cycle from Earth).  But when she is suspended from the flight academy for disobeying a direct order and during a celebration the food supply is decimated, she fights to be allowed to go on the mission to get enough food to save the planet - especially when the government recruits her brother because of his technological genius.  But when things go horribly wrong will Jess be able to find a way to rescue her brother and their other shipmates from a fate worse than death?  And can she trust the help she receives from Pavel, the nephew of a corrupt Terran government official?  Worst of all will Jess have to choose between saving Ethan or saving Mars and everyone they left behind? 

     When Cidney sent me an e-mail asking me to read and review this novel for its upcoming release, I was SUPER excited.  Ever since I finished reading the Ripple trilogy I knew that Cidney was definitely and author to watch and that I would be reading any other books she had published.  This is reminiscent of Rippler, with the strong female main character and the sci-fi premise, but that's where comparisons stop.  Jessamyn Jaarda is a rash, young daredevil who has led a sheltered and happy existence on Mars.  She thinks she understands the precarious position of Mars Colonial, but until the food supply disaster, it's obvious that she isn't quite aware of it as much as she thinks.  I loved that Jess was a take-action sort of hero, ready to do whatever it took to save her home and her family.  I understood her protective spirit toward Ethan - I think it's something that every sibling feels to a really great extent.  Even if you don't get along with your brother(s)/sister(s), most of the people I know would take a bullet for them (I know I would).  Ethan himself was portrayed as a very strong character as well, unlimited in his possibilities on Mars in a way that I hope will someday be a major reality on Earth.  In our society he would most likely be diagnosed with autism or Asperger's, but on Mars he's recognized for his brilliant mind and technological capabilities (called only alter-abled). 

     The supporting characters like Jess' parents, Harpreet, Kipper, Lobster and Pavel all added something special to the overall story that is irreplaceable.  I was impressed by the complexity of the plot and the ease that Cidney built her world with.  It just gradually sprung up around the reader and by the ending I was immersed, unlike many books where the details are shoved in your face unceremoniously and without any flair.  Earth's obsession as a culture with youth manifests itself in a chilling process called 'rebodying.'  The process consists of the conciousness transfers of the old into the young, and vice versa at different points in the lifetime for maximum efficiency.  The idea is that youth is wasted on the young.  The scariest part is that I could actually see this happening if our society continues in it's current direction.  The setting for me was paramount to enjoyment.  It gave the book an extra level of tension to have it set on Mars instead of Earth, as a futuristic science fiction.  This reversal allowed for the showcasing of an outside perspective and gave a more empathetic feeling to me as a reader.  I loved the small details such as the colony's history, the planetary dog, the ingredients list for the ration bars, Jess eating butter and kale like they are regular foods at the banquet for the conciousness transfer teens.  The difference between the offensive Terran term "Martian" and the term they use, Marsian was a nice touch.  

     Overall, this novel was a a very high action, suspense novel where eveything that could possibly go wrong does.  The ending gave me serious chills and made me want to cry, yet cheer at the same time.  I highly recommend it to fans of YA or of science-fiction in general.  If you want a book that makes you laugh, grip your armrest, AND cry, this is the one for you.  

VERDICT:  5/5  Stars

*I received an Advanced Reading E-book Copy from the author and no favors or money were exchanged for this review.  This book is now available on Amazon.com in Kindle format and Paperback.*