The Academie by Amy Joy

Title: The Academie
Author: Amy Joy
Length: 288 pages
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (July 12, 2011)
Format: paperback

Description:

When Allie Thompson graduated, she thought she'd put high school behind her. But when a series of violent outbreaks by teens sends panic surging through the nation, high school is right where Allie finds herself again. Now remolded into what the government calls The Academie, what was once the public school system is now the permanent home of everyone 22 and under.

After a year of college and a lifetime as a model student, Allie doesn't take well to The Academie's militaristic nature or its 16 foot perimeter fences. Remembering all she's left behind, including the boyfriend she's now years away from seeing again, Allie plummets into depression. But when strange things begin to happen and her brother disappears, Allie realizes she must unravel the mystery that is The Academie--before it's too late.


My Thoughts:

      Just imagine...you are an adult now, you have graduated high school, started college, have an amazing boyfriend and all of a sudden that is taken away. The government decides that due to your age you aren't mature enough to handle living in the "real" world without killing a bunch of people. Their solution is to lock you up in a government run boarding school until you turn 22. Nothing can go wrong, right?
      I absolutely love the idea behind Amy Joy's The Academie! As someone who just recently passed their 22nd birthday the idea of the government suddenly taking away all of the freedom and life I have enjoyed and gotten used to is absolutely terrifying and intriguing all at the same time. The Academie is a good book with a great premise, but it could have been better. As with the majority of books written it is key that the reader feel some connection to the characters in the book. In this case I just didn't get the connection I was searching for. Allie is an interesting character and admittedly has her moments that you get a glimpse of her personality. Readers get these glimpses when she meditates and visits the times in her past when she was happiest, but other than that she is kind of flat just like the rest of the characters. The secondary characters had the potential as well to bring some much needed flavor, but they kind of fell by the side and turned into more of an after thought.
      Moving onto the "idea" behind the story. As stated above I absolutely loved the premise of this book. This genre is so prevalent today that it is on the verge of, if not already overdone. The Academie brings a new and fresh idea that has so much promise and is generally interesting and quite frankly scary if you put yourself in that situation. The problem? It didn't live up to the boat load of potential it had. The first problem is the pacing is off. It takes forever for the first part of the story to pick up and then there is the ending. Just when the book is finally picking up pace, finally gaining the depth that I had been looking for the characters all of a sudden magically find their answers and it's over. I noticed I only had two pages left and I kept thinking to myself, hoping, that the book makers had accidentally forgot to bind the last part of the book. Unfortunately that wasn't the case and the ending was just that abrupt. All in all, the book wasn't that bad and it had it's really good moments. The let down from building it up so much in my mind compared to the actual product was just disappointing. I give this book a 3 STAR rating (the idea is what saved it from being a 2-2 1/2 Star rating).

The Hunt by Andrew Fukuda

Title: The Hunt
Author: Andrew Fukuda
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin (May 8, 2012)
Length: 304 pages
Format: ARC paperback
Source: LibraryThing & Goodreads

Description from Goodreads:

Gene is different from everyone else around him.  He can’t run with lightning speed, sunlight doesn’t hurt him and he doesn’t have an unquenchable lust for blood.  Gene is a human, and he knows the rules.  Keep the truth a secret.  It’s the only way to stay alive in a world of night—a world where humans are considered a delicacy and hunted for their blood.

When he’s chosen for a once in a lifetime opportunity to hunt the last remaining humans, Gene’s carefully constructed life begins to crumble around him.  He’s thrust into the path of a girl who makes him feel things he never thought possible—and into a ruthless pack of hunters whose suspicions about his true nature are growing. Now that Gene has finally found something worth fighting for, his need to survive is stronger than ever—but is it worth the cost of his humanity?

My Thoughts:

The Hunt was a refreshing new take on the vampire story. Normally I am not a fan of books written in the male perspective, but The Hunt was extremely well done. In fact it has one of if not my favorite male point of views. Gene is intelligent, thoughtful, and resourceful. He has had to live his entire life hiding that he is a human and pretending to be the very thing that has almost wiped out his species. One of the things I found most interesting about this is that Gene sees himself differently from the humans/hepers that are in captivity. He more so identifies with the vampires and sees the humans as them/the others. In this The Hunt presents a very complex view of how we see ourselves and will make you wonder what you would do in his situation. Gene's female counterpart Ashley June intrigued me from the very beginning and kept it up throughout the whole book. Readers will constantly wonder is she a blood thirsty vampire or maybe she is a vamp with a heart. There is one part in the book where she describes what she wants from Gene and it was absolutely beautiful. I can't think of any book that describes what someone with a one sided love wants more. This book has so many wonderful components it is hard to describe them all. If you are someone who likes their vamps mean this is the book for you! They are superior, dirty, and as blood thirsty as ever! The only negative or part of The Hunt that threw me for a loop was the "armpit" thing, but I'll let you discover that for yourself.

The Hunt by Andrew Fukuda is a must read for 2012! If you liked the movie Daybreakers you should give this a try. I give this book a 4 STAR rating!

***I received this book (x2) for free in exchange for my honest opinion through the Goodreads First Reads program and LibraryThing Early Reviewers

~GIVEAWAY~

Up for grabs is my extra advanced reader copy of The Hunt by Andrew Fukuda! The cover on the arc is different than the final cover pictured above. This giveaway is for US only and will end on May 15.

Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

Title: Shatter Me
Author: Tahereh Mafi
Publisher: Harper Collins (November 15, 2011)
Length:352 pages
Source: Walmart
Format: hardcover

Description from Goodreads:

Juliette hasn't touched anyone in exactly 264 days.
The last time she did, it was an accident, but The Reestablishment locked her up for murder. No one knows why Juliette's touch is fatal. As long as she doesn't hurt anyone else, no one really cares. The world is too busy crumbling to pieces to pay attention to a 17-year-old girl. Diseases are destroying the population, food is hard to find, birds don't fly anymore, and the clouds are the wrong color.

The Reestablishment said their way was the only way to fix things, so they threw Juliette in a cell. Now so many people are dead that the survivors are whispering war-- and The Reestablishment has changed its mind. Maybe Juliette is more than a tortured soul stuffed into a poisonous body. Maybe she's exactly what they need right now.

Juliette has to make a choice: Be a weapon. Or be a warrior.
My Thoughts:
     
      Shatter Me...Oh, Shatter Me! This book has me so confused! First off, I love this book. I love the world, the characters, and the writing. Anna is an amazing heroine. She is tough, caring, quiet, and yet you can tell there is something dark in her at times. Readers can really connect with her story and get the sense of just how alone she has been in the world all of her life. In regards to Anna, I thought I would find the cross out words annoying or distracting. They were the exact opposite. They offered the reader another way to connect to Anna's character; expressing not only her feelings, but her eventual transformation. Adam is also a likeable character. He is sweet, caring, and protective. However, there was another man that pushed his way into the spotlight, stole the show, and made me feel all together  uncomfortable. Warner ...never have I ever liked such an absolutely despicable villain so much in my entire life. He is right up there with the king of literary villains, but something about him is so compelling. I must admit that I had to go online and google to see if I was the only "freak" who felt this way. Thankfully on Ms. Mafi's website she explains that this doesn't make me weird. The last character that really stood out to me is Kai. There is something about his shameless flirting that is highly appealing and I hope to see much more of him in the sequel.
  
      When writing a post-apocolyptic/ dystopian novel world building is one of the most important things a writer must get right. If readers can't picture the world, they can't connect to the book. The world that Shatter Me takes place in is absolutely brilliant! My only complaint is that I found this world so intriguing that I wish there had been much more background information on how it got that way and what is going on now. My last gushing point that Shatter Me does absolutely fabulous on is the violence! I love a book that gets down and dirty with the fighting. Shatter Me's violence and darkness is what turns a good book into a great one!. The second installment can't come soon enough for me. I give Shatter Me a 4 1/2 STAR rating.

Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi

Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi

Aria has grown up in the virtual world of the realms in Reverie. Anything can happen, you can be at a beach one moment and singing on an opera stage the next. Her mother, a geneticist, left on a trip and Aria hasn’t heard from her. She is desperate for word of her mother and will do anything she can to get to her. One night changes everything. A tragedy and betrayal come full force and Aria is forced to leave the pods and finds herself in the world of the Outsiders. This is a place she has always been told savages roam and brings certain death to her people. Here she meets Perry, a strange and surly young man she is forced to place her trust in and her life.

Perry is brother to the Blood Lord and a born leader. He can’t sit by anymore while his brother grieves and his people starve. While attempting to break into Reverie for food he comes across a Dweller. For some inexplicable reason he saves her life and leaves her behind only to meet her again a short while later when she is the last person he wants to see. She needs him to survive and find her mother and he needs her to rescue someone close to him.

Each has something the other can provide and along the way a strange understanding grows between them. They will fight to survive the swirling burning aether, cannibals, wolves, and obstacles they’ve never dreamed of. On their journey, they will discover who they were meant to be Under the Never Sky.

I was going to save this book for 2012 and use it as part of my Debut Author 2012 Challenge. I just couldn’t resist. I started this book one morning after pulling an all-nighter and I just couldn’t stop. I found myself reading in the car, in the halls at school, putting my Kindle behind my purse so I could read in class; I was even tempted to read it at work (I refrained).  The YA genre has grown so much I find it hard to come across a book that is completely original. Ms. Rossi delivered this to me and I am so thankful. The thing that made the book so wonderful was the fact that the characters were imperfect. They weren’t the bravest, the smartest, the most powerful; they were their own unique people.  There was one particular passage in the story when Aria sings a song to Perry and explains its meaning. Ms. Rossi’s writing at this point simply touched me. I found myself hoping one day that I can experience something like that. Under the Never Sky is full of action, adventure, survival, and a deeper look at oneself and the sacrifices we are called on to make. Do we choose our own desires or do what is right for the greater good. This book was simply beautiful and I don’t know how to describe how amazing it was. Please read this, it’s one you don’t want to miss. This book gets a 5 STAR rating.

***Under the Never Sky Extras***

Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi will be available JANUARY 3, 2012! The book contains approximately 400 pages and is being released by HarperCollins.

***This was an eGalley provided through Net Galley free for review purposes. The opinions are my own.

Bones of Faerie by Janni Lee Simner

Bones of Faerie by Janni Lee Simner

Liza and her town have lived in fear of all things magic since the War. Before she was born, the world of human and fae collided in a war unlike any other. Magic spread through the human world infecting, plant, weather, animal, and human alike. Magic is the stuff of nightmares. Plants can strangle you, trees have a life of their own, hawks can hunt you as prey, and some children have been touched by magic. Liza’s world changes when her little sister is born with magic. “And cast out the magic born among you, before it can harm its parents.” Her father leaves her baby sister in the woods and the only things left of the tiny life are the bones. When Liza starts showing signs of latent magic she does the only thing she can think of…she leaves. Liza and those she gathers along the way will fight tooth and nail making a journey few if any have ever came back from. They are going beyond The Arch into Faerie. The question is will they make it? Will they come back? Will they ever be the same? Or will they be lost in visions of faerie forever?

Bones of Faerie by Janni Lee Simner is amazing! I am kicking myself because I have had this book for over a year and am just now reading it. This slim book is deep. When I first picked it up I wasn’t expecting a dystopian world filled with magic. I find this a refreshing take on this genre that has become so popular. The way the world has become so desolate and unwelcoming contributes to the haunting voice of Liza. The descriptions of the dying world around her are absolutely beautiful in a dark eerie sort of way. Each character is essential in their own right and has a distinct personality that contributes to the desolation and need to survive in this harsh world. Even those who died haunt the pages of this novel.  The ending of the story is spectacular! While writing this review I learned that there is a part two to Liza’s story. I can’t decide if I am eager to see the evolution of this world or apprehensive. I can’t imagine on another  book living up to the perfection I found this one to be. This is a dark book, but I recommend that all lovers of YA, dystopian, and faeries read it. I give this book a 5 STAR rating!

***Bones of Faerie Extras***

Bones of Faerie by Janni Lee Simner has approximately 256 pages and was published on January 26, 2010 by Random House Books for Young Readers. There is a sequel to this book called Faerie Winter and is available now.

Divergent by Veronica Roth

Divergent by Veronica Roth

 This future world shows that people have given up on the old political ways. They have found that human flaws are to blame for all of the problems. Tris belongs to one of the five factions called Abnegation where selflessness is prized above all. She tries hard but has never quite fit in. When she goes to take her test to see which faction she matches with, something isn't quite right with her results. She is Divergent. Tris matches with more than one faction... practically unheard of. She goes on a journey expecting that it will only change her life. It doesn't. She changes the world.

     This book follows Tris and the journey of the choices she makes. We experience her thoughts and emotions as she tries to prove herself worthy of her faction; culture shock, family troubles, making friends, a budding romance, self discovery, and trying to stay alive all abound in this stand out novel. Divergent is an amazing book experience and one not to be missed in the dystopian genre or at all. This book is one of the best and as so few books do these days actually kept me guessing until the very end. I won't compare this book to another certain Dystopian series I LOVED ,cough The Hunger Games cough  Divergent by Veronica Roth is definitely one of the top books I would recommend people to read. It is action packed with a little romance thrown in, just my kind of book. The main character Tris is one of the best written characters in recent books I've read. She isn't perfect, she isn't selfless, but she cares for others and thinks on her own. I look up to her. Please read this book. I give this book a 5 STAR rating.

***Divergent Extras***

Divergent by Veronica Roth has approximately 496 pages and was published on May 3, 2011 by Katherine Tegen Books. This is book one in a planned trilogy. There are some more mature images in this book. If I had kids I would let them read it as young as 12, but the suggested reading age on www.amazon.com is 14 and Up.

Possession by Elana Johnson

Possession by Elana Johnson

     Possession by Elana Johnson is a book about choices. Violet lives in a world of strict regulation. You're either a Goodie or a Baddie. Things like not locking your door, not wearing long sleeves or hats, being out after dark, touching the opposite sex (even platonically) is against the rules. Vi is a Goodie with a penchant for rule breaking. In an attempt to spend time with the boy she has grown up with and loves she is caught and taken to prison. There she meets Jag a bad boy who makes a play for her heart. She now lives her life as an outlaw trying to get to the mythical place where the strictures of her society do not touch.  On her journey, Violet will lose friends, make friends, discover secrets meant to be kept hidden, and question everything she has ever known.

     I was really excited to read this book. I was immediately drawn to the beautiful cover. It's also in the genre I'm currently interested in, the plot had twists that were new to me, and has romance (I can't resist love triangles). Possession did not live up to my expectations. The premise was good, but the reader is thrown into a technologically advanced world without any understanding of what is what. It was slightly confusing. It also did not "flow" as smoothly as I would have liked. I had a hard time distinguishing who was who, who betrayed who, and who was lying or telling the truth. At points I found myself having to go back a page of so to try and reread to better understand everything. It wasn’t that bad though. If you are looking for a dystopian novel and have read all the other ones go ahead and pick this one up. If you do read it I have to admit, the end was pretty awesome. I give this book a 3 STAR rating.

***Possession Extras***

Possession by Elana Johnson has approximately 416 pages and was published on June 7, 2011 by Simon Pulse.

A Long Long Sleep by Anna Sheehan

A Long Long Sleep by Anna Sheehan

     Imagine waking up in the same place you went to sleep, but 62 years in the future. Everyone you ever knew and everyone you ever loved are dead. The world you knew is gone replaced by people who never knew you even existed. You have missed technological advances, outbreaks of the plague, and famine. This sounds like the stuff nightmares are made of, but it’s not. This is the world that Rosalinda Fitzroy awakens to. She finds herself the heir to an intergalactic planetary empire. She will have to learn what it’s like to live all over again. She has to learn to connect to people, something she has never had the chance to do. She finds these connections in Bren the boy who discovered her and Otto the boy her company made. As she tries to adjust to this new world she will discover devastating secrets a century old while trying to stay ahead of the monster set on killing her.

     A Long Long Sleep by Anna Sheehan is a book that I very much enjoyed. This isn’t a book that grips you right away. A Long Long Sleep is much more subtle than that. It lulls you in with a beautiful gentility that creeps through you. I was slowly, but completely drawn into this new world. Rose’s life and feelings introduce a whole new heartbreak I had never thought imaginable. Rose’s character progression in the story is one that I admire. The parallels to the tale of Sleeping Beauty were done just right. There are so many retellings of fairy tales these days, but A Long Long Sleep is different. There is a subtle amount of similarities while maintaining its own unique story. The characters were beautiful and this book was beautiful. I give this book a 4 ½ STAR rating.

***A Long Long Sleep Extras***

A Long Long Sleep by Anna Sheehan has approximately 352 pages and was published on August 9, 2011 by Candlewick Press. From my point of view this looks to be the start of a series.

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

In the future citizens will rise up against the government. They will lose.


There are 12 districts left after the uprising. The Capitol controls almost every aspect of life. They live a frivolous and superficial existence while the districts live in varying degrees of poverty. The highlight of the year is The Hunger Games. This is the ultimate entertainment event of the year, generously provided and televised by The Capitol. At a certain age children will have their names put inot a drawing each year for The Hunger Games. One lucky boy and girl from each district is given the honor and prestige of being chosen to fight against 23 others to the death. The prize... your district will be taken care of and the winner will be provided for the rest of their lives.


Katniss Everdeen lives among the mining community of District 12. There is no going outside of the gated fence and definitely no poaching outside of said fence. The people of district 12 are poor and starving, and breaking rules is what Kat does best. Her hunting and tracking skills provide her and her hunting partner Gale with extra food for their families, but sometimes it isn't enough. To get more food for her family Kat has added her name to the drawing many times over the years. On choosing day the first name called is Peeta Melark the baker's son, the next name stops her in her tracks. Primrose Everdeen, her beloved little sister. There is no way Katniss can let this happen. She volunteers to take her place. Kat leaves behind her mother, sister, best friend, and everything she has ever known. She goes into The Hunger Games expecting to never see home or family again. This is the story of her journey.


There were the Hobbits of The Lord of the Rings, the wizards of Harry Potter, the vampires of Twilight, and now we have the future of The Hunger Games. To start off I must say that this book is AMAZING and Suzanne Collins is AMAZING!! Katniss' love and dedication to her little sister is absolutly heartbreaking. If you are looking for a book with a strong female lead and the perfect combination of action/romance/ and plot twists this is the book for you. I would absolutely recommend this book to anyone who can read. On a side note the movie version of this book is coming out soon, but please don't wait! I can't imagine how a movie will ever be able to do this book justice. I wouldn't want a reader to ever be turned away by a movie that couldn't live up to the book. (I'm not saying that the movie will be horrible and I will be going to see everyone of them, but just in case) This book gets a 5 STAR rating. Read It!!!

*** The Hunger Games Extras***

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins is part one of The Hunger Games trilogy. The following two books are Catching Fire and Mockingjay. The Hunger Games is 384 pages long and was published on July 3, 2010.