I'M BACK!!

Wow! I cannot believe it is 2014 already. Even more so, I cannot believe I FAILED all my reading and blogging goals for 2013. Life knocked me down…stress from grad school, death of a loved one, injuring my finger/hand and re-injuring my back, single-handedly raising my little monster man is challenging too BUT…

And even though many of those stressors won’t disappear anytime soon, I finally remembered that I am a strong, resilient woman who can handle many things and let go of the things that I can’t.

Yep…I’m back. Back being Randie. Back being an avid reader. Back being a blogger. Thank God, because I have certainly missed reading and blogging.

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To recap on 2013, here is a list of my 13 favorite reads from 2013.

All Dogs have ADHD by Kathy Hoopmann

Allegiant by Veronica Roth 

Champion by Marie Lu

The Dark by Lemony Snicket/Jon Klassen

Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

How to Love by Katie Cotugno

Immortals Series by Alyson Noel

Just One Day & Just One Year by Gayle Forman

Requiem by Lauren Oliver

Scarlet by Marissa Meyer

Shades of Earth by Beth Revis

Stuck by Oliver Jeffers

Wonder by R.J. Palacio

Bumped

McCafferty, M. (2011). Bumped. New York, NY: Balzer & Bray. 

Genre: Science Fiction (YA)

In the world in which Melody and Harmony live, teen pregnancy is nothing to frown upon, in fact it is ENCOURAGED! Teens are paid ridiculous amounts of money to be surrogates or sell their babies to couples because a virus has caused an infertility crisis among older generations. 

Melody and Harmony are identical twins that were adopted by different families as sickly infants. Melody was raised by scientists who devoted their lives to giving her the best of everything so that she would be the most sought after girl for a rich family needing a baby. Harmony was raised in a town with a completely different set of values. She has God and her religion marries off teen girls so that they can have babies within their family. The sisters didn’t know each other growing up but Harmony runs away to save Melody from her sinful life…nor does she have another motive? Melody’s perfect life quickly becomes a whirlwind of trouble.

Reaction: It took me a while to get into this one. Honestly, only the last 100 pages demanded my attention. Harmony’s religiosity is annoying. Don’t get me wrong, I do not wish to bash religion but Harmony hides behind her religion…maybe because she has not formed her own identity or she is confused. Either way, it is overkill. There seems to be some discrepancies in how Melody perceives “bumping”. Zen’s humor and bluntness on the topic is refreshing and his character is the shining star of the novel. While, this was not the most enticing sci-fi YA novel, it was interesting and I look forward to seeing how Melody and Harmony deal with the issues that arose in the ending, in the second book, Thumped.

Under the Never Sky

Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi

Rossi, V. (2012). Under the never sky. New York, NY: Harper Collins.

Genre: Dystopian Fiction (YA)

Reverie is a virtual world compacted into small spaces. This is the world, Aria knows. When her mother goes missing, Aria finds herself in a very real world where only the strong survive. Aria shouldn’t be able to survive but secrets about her identity and reluctant help from Perry might be enough to see her through this great unknown. 

Reaction: Veronica Rossi did a fabulous job of telling this story through the eyes of both Aria and Perry. I do find it interesting that I was able to learn more about Perry from Aria and vice versa, their connection is that strong. 

I was intrigued by the world in which they live and the Aether that seems to be destroying or controlling it. 

The concept of the "marked" fascinates me...I'm still not sure if it’s a gift or a curse but I guess that will play out as the series continues. 

Roar's character makes me laugh. Cinder and Talon both seem to have special roles in the story; I wonder if children will be the key to escaping Aether...Cinder's "ability" prompted this thinking/prediction.

The book is extremely intriguing and addictive. The book pretty much had to be pried out of my hands, COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN! 

I cannot wait to read more about this world.

Side note: I do feel like a love triangle is a given for this series but I hope that Aria and Perry make it...

5 stars

"Legend"

Lu, M. (2011). Legend. New York, NY: G. P. Putnam's Sons.

Genre: Dystopian Fiction (YA)

 

In this dystopian novel, the United States is no more. The Republic is a new nation and it seems its main focus is war. War with neighboring nations and war within its own structure. 15-year-old Day was born into one of the poorer families and spends his time rebelling against the Republic. Day’s antics are extremely popular and he is a criminal to some and a legend to others. 15-year-old June was born into one of the wealthier families and spends her time preparing for a respected role in the Republic’s military. June’s skills and high test scores have deemed her the nation’s prodigy. The death of June’s brother, Metias, brings the legend and prodigy together for a story full of action, twists, and of course, romance…

Reaction: Marie Lu's approach to this story enticed me. I was immediately drawn to the characters and their emotion kept me hooked throughout the entire book. June and Day each have a distinct voice and Lu shares each of their point of views flawlessly. The distinct fonts and structured chapters help Lu to carry this out successfully. June and Day both express their thoughts in an intense, emotionally charged story full of pain, loss, rebellion, and hope. The Republic is cruel and while more explanation is needed, Lu has developed a dystopian world that frighteningly believable. 

 5 stars

*Legend is the first of a series; stay tuned for my review of its next installments.

5 YA/Teen DYSTOPIAN Novels

Five YA/Teen DYSTOPIAN Novels

In spirit of Children’s Book Week, I will be presenting FIVE quality children’s book each day. While, we tend to think of young children during this weeklong event, it is important to remember the teens too. Many teens (and adults, like me) are drawn to Young Adult (YA) novels. That being said, Wednesday’s theme is

DYSTOPIAN NOVELS

Why?

Dystopian novels feature a society that is corrupt or frightening in some way—whether it be a natural disaster, genetic/science crisis, cruel government or other terrifying aspect. In YA dystopian novels, it is common for resistance and romance to be leading themes as the main characters battle with the corruption of their society. Dystopian novels fascinate teens because like them, the main characters are faced with circumstances that make the future seem questionable and their sense of power low. Many teens experience similar feelings and identifying with those feelings as the characters seek to resist this and regain their power can be empowering for the reader too.

THE BOOKS!

 

 Delirium by Lauren Oliver                                    Blood Red Road by Moira Young

Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi

 

 

Birthmarked by Caragh M. O’Brien                                         Legend by Marie Lu