Queen of Zombie Hearts (White Rabbit Chronicles #3) by Gena Showalter

Expected Publication:  September 30th, 2014

Queen of Zombie Hearts (White Rabbit Chronicles #3)

By: Gena Showalter

Harlequin Teen

ISBN-13:  9780373211319

In the stunning conclusion to the wildly popular White Rabbit Chronicles, Alice "Ali" Bell thinks the worst is behind her.  She's ready to take the next step with boyfriend Cole Holland, leader of the zombie slayers...until Anima Industries, the agency controlling the zombies, launches a sneak attack, killing four of her friends.  It's then she realizes that humans can be more dangerous than monsters...and the worst has only begun.

As the surviving slayers prepare for war, Ali discovers she, too, can control the zombies...and she isn't the girl she thought she was.  She's connected to the woman responsible for killing -- and turning -- Cole's mother.  How can their relationship endure?  As secrets come to light, and more slayers are taken or killed, Ali will fight harder than ever to bring down Anima -- even sacrificing her own life for those she loves.

Review

     At the beginning of this book things have calmed down a lot since the last one.  Ali and her friends are easing back in to normal life, and her biggest worry is normal, nightly zombie patrol and whether or not Cole will let them go all the way finally.  Nana is supervising their every waking moment, so one night Ali sneaks in Cole's window for some late-night, naughty time.  In the middle of them making out, the house is attacked.  They soon learn that Anima has attacked ALL of their fellow slayers as well, killing four of them and gravely injuring or kidnapping others.  Another side plotline is introduced, with the Witness ghost of Helen, who gifts Ali with some of her own special powers to help in the fight.  She also has a secret connection to Ali's past that comes between her and Cole, due to Helen's betrayal of his mother.  It's an interesting way to create relationship conflict just when things were rock solid.

     The introduction of a street gang of zombie slayers, led by a guy named River, was an interesting addition.  I did feel like there was way too many characters at quite a few points, and got a little bit confused as to who had done what and been in the previous books.  The plot twists regarding Ali's new powers, the true goals of Anima and the connection with Helen weren't necessarily all that surprising, but the action moved at a really good pace in this one and I loved the finality of the conclusion.  The last big shock though (which I won't spoil) had me screaming in rage - in a good way!  The last Witness visit is going to kill you so hard!  All in all, a great end to an interesting series.  And for all you Cole and Ali fans, don't worry too much.  Their ending will make you happy!

VERDICT:  4/5 Stars

*I recieved this book as part of Around the World ARC Tours, run by the lovely Princess Bookie.  No money or favors were exchanged for this review.  This book's expected publication date is September 30th, 2014.*

Shattered Hearts and Broken Things

Expected Publication:  December 23rd, 2014

This Shattered World (Starbound #2)

By:  Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner

Disney-Hyperion

ISBN-13:  9781423171034

Jubilee Chase and Flynn Cormac should never have met.

Lee is captain of the forces sent to Avon to crush the terraformed planet's rebellious colonists, but she has her own reasons for hating the insurgents.

Rebellion is in Flynn's blood.  Terraforming corporations make their fortune by recruiting colonists to make the inhospitable planets livable, with the promise of a better life for their children.  But they never fulfilled their promise on Avon, and decades later, Flynn is leading the rebellion.

Desperate for any advantage in a bloody and unrelenting war, Flynn does the only thing that makes sense when he and Lee cross paths: he returns to base with her as prisoner.  But as his fellow rebels prepare to execute this tough-talking girl with nerves of steel, Flynn makes another choice that will change him forever.  He and Lee escape the rebel base together, caught between two sides of a senseless war.

Review

     This had all the important things that the first book had: adventure, outer space intrigue, romance and character development.  Lots of conflict to keep me busy as a reader.  Yet, I didn't quite connect immediately with Lee or Flynn, quite like I did with Tarver and Lilac in the first book.  Maybe because Lee and Flynn seem to have a much clearer understanding of who they are and where they belong, etc. (not that this lasts for the entire book, but it didn't draw me in to have such self-assured characters).  Maybe it's because I'm such so insecure myself.  Also, Flynn came across as a pretty big idiot.  You're part of a fairly big rebellion, and your first instinct is to kidnap one of the opposing leaders when you have the chance.  Did he honestly believe he could convince his people to peacefully let her go once they had what they wanted?  As if!  Dreamworld buddy, total dreamworld - especially since his sister had been a violent rebellion leader herself, executed for her actions.

     Honestly, Lee was my favorite character and I still wasn't all that attached to her for whatever reason.  I did enjoy the flashbacks into her past.  It gives a deeper insight into the character, especially when you realize the purpose behind them and why Lee never seems to acknowledge these remembrances/hallucinations at all.  The romance in this one just felt too cliched and rehearsed to me.  It never really rang true.  I seem to be in the minority here, so don't mind me - form your own opinions!  So as not to spoil all that much, I will say that the ending resolves the conflict very nicely.  I think any further books will be about different characters again.  The conflict with the corporation owned by Lilac's father has a lot more mileage left in it for Kaufman and Spooner before it starts to get tired.  My favorite part was cameo by Lilac and Tarver (both of whom play a part in the climax of the action, near the end of the book).  I recommend reading this if you've read the first one and it really is a solid second series book.  It just wasn't anything special to me personally.

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 date is December 23rd, 2014.**

You Don't Even Know Me At All

Published:  January 14th, 2014

Vitro

By: Jessica Khoury

Razorbill

ISBN-13:  9781595146059

On Skin Island, even the laws of creation can be broken.

On a remote island in the Pacific, Corpus scientists have taken test tube embryos and given them life.  These beings -- the Vitros -- have knowledge and abilities most humans can only dream of.  But they also have one enormous flaw.

Sophie Crue is determined to get to Skin Island and find her mother, a scientist who left Sophie behind years ago.  With the help of Jim Julien, a young charter pilot, she arrives -- and discovers a terrifying secret she never imagined: she has a Vitro twin, Lux, who is the culmination of Corpus' dangerous research.

Now Sophie is torn between reuniting with the mother who betrayed her and protecting the genetically enhanced twin she never knew existed.  But untangling the twisted strands of these relationships will have to wait, for Sophie and Jim are about to discover what happens when science stretches too far beyond its reach.

Review

     I am a huge fan of Jessica Khoury's debut novel, Origin.  I enjoyed reading a science fiction book focusing on the dangers of experimentation, that was just the right balance of science, action and romance.  So of course I was absolutely DYING to read Vitro as soon as I knew it existed!  I figured that, knowing it was in the same universe as Origin, it would pretty damn awesome and strike a good balance once more.  That said I did enjoy all of the beautiful descriptions and the dual POV was far more well done than a lot of authors manage.  But for me this book had the same issue that another author's (Cat Patrick) did post debut.  It had the Goldilocks Syndrome.  This is something made up by me, to describe a phenomenon of a perfectly balanced debut, followed by truly good books that are just not quite right.  Too hot, too cold, etc.  For me the biggest problem with Vitro was the character development - or lack thereof.  The plot is great stuff for a science fiction YA - what are at first belived to be clones, altered on a fundamental level by scientific experimentation.  It turns out that they are unused, previously frozen embryos that were previously normal human beings.  But the scientists working for Corpus have altered them into something resembling slaves by implanting a microchip in their brains during development.  The chip causes imprinting to occur - the person (known as a Vitro) will automatically live for the first person they see upon waking for the first time.  They will protect them, love them, and even die for them if necessary.

     The three main characters in this book are normal girl Sophie Crue, whose mother is a scientist on the Vitro project, her childhood friend (and pilot) Jim Julien and Sophie's twin sister, a Vitro named Lux.  Sophie has gone to Skin Island to find her Mom, who she believes is in trouble after a cryptic and worrying email that seems to be from her.  Trying to find a way to the island, Sophie runs across her old friend Jim Julien from when she lived on Guam as a child.  Now he has a pilot's license - and just as much of a sense of adventure as he did when they were kids.  But going to Skin Island is even more dangerous than Sophie and Jim ever imagined.  When the two get separated, Sophie is mistaken for Lux and shown off to a potential buyer by her own Mother - while Jim is going back to the plane with Lux who he's 'rescued' thinking she was Sophie!  With sinister forces working against them, a corporation driven by evil greed and secrets and people who will stop at nothing to kill them all three teens are in for a ride.  But will things end happily ever after for all of them?

     For carrying an entire book, we know almost next to nothing about Sophie or Jim (even by the time the novel ended).  Sure the blanks have been kind of filled in alongside all the "deep dark secrets", but nothing truly personal or insightful into their past experiences and personalities as individuals.  They came across as stereotypes, and cardboard placeholders to move along the action and the plot.  I could have easily replaced Sophie with Lux and as long as neither of them spoke, not noticed a difference.  No one else did either, if the amount of time they traded places undetected is any indication!  Jim was also very dull to me character-wise.  Let's go to an island all the locals avoid like the plague, because I have a crush on a girl I haven't seen in almost a decade and a half.  Really bright idea Jim-bo!  That said, while I didn't get anything heavily emotional from it and the identity of the "real" villain was laughably obvious from less than 100 pages into the book, it was still a fun and easy read.  I enjoyed it for what it was - an action film in book form.  I will definitely read whatever Khoury writes next, because I am a fan of both Origin and Vitro.  And I will be endlessly curious to see if she can reattain the perfection of her first novel once more.  I'd recommend to those looking for a book that will make you ask semi-deep questions, but also give you the opportunity to enjoy Bruce Willis-worthy explosions! :D

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 was published January 14th, 2014.*