Posted in Arc, Young Adult

NeverSea Book Review

NeverSea (Echoes of the Lost #1) by Jenetta Penner and David R. Bernsteinneversea

Expected Publication: December 12th 2017 by Torment Publishing

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

An eARC was provided free in exchange for an honest review

Goodreads Summary:

Can a pure, but broken heart fuel the war to control the NeverSea?

“The Little Mermaid & Peter Pan together in a sci-fi retelling.”

Forced under the sea, seventeen-year-old Arya fights, alongside her sisters, to take down the Syndicate—a group looking to genetically redesign humanity against their will. When a routine patrol goes horribly wrong, she reunites with Peter, the ousted former leader of the Lost Boys. Arya and Peter’s tortured past, filled with genetic experimentation, fuel their need for justice.

Years earlier, Peter left young Arya when she needed him the most, leaving her torn from James, the love of her life.

Now, Arya has no choice, but to trust Peter or risk losing everything.

In a future where a constantly rising sea has swallowed nearly all the land on Earth, Arya and Peter fight to regain control of Neverland, a massive floating settlement, now controlled by the Syndicate.

The abilities forced on them years ago, are now the weapons they need to fight back.

Fans of The Lunar Chronicles series will love this exciting and epic new, young adult series.

I love retellings, and this was a great start to a new series. This story was very fast paced and I probably could have read it in one sitting if I didn’t have to do adult things (like cleaning =/). The story starts off with Arya and Peter inside the Syndicate being tested on and altered “for the greater good”. They break out one day and then we jump forward a couple of years to where the main story takes place. Their sole mission in life is to take down the Syndicate. Albeit Peter and Arya both have different reasons for taking them down, but it boils down to revenge and making sure that what happened to them doesn’t happen to anyone else. The authors merged the two stories very well into one, and gave each one their own spin to it. Many of the elements from the original stories were very much evident in this one, and I liked how they were fitted into this dystopian world.

This story wasn’t without it’s flaws though. The plot is there and it moves fairly quickly to keep you entertained. However, I wish there was more backstory to the characters so that we can have a better connection to them other than their current situation. I wish there was also a little bit more of a world building. For instance, why is the Earth covered in water? What happened for the NeverSea to take shape?

Hopefully the next book will answer some of the questions for me!

 

Posted in Young Adult

ARC TBR Takedown Read-A-Thon Week 6

img_1422I started Sam @RiverMoose-Reads ARC TBR Read-A-Thon reading last month, and I’m excited that it’s time for another weekly blog post!

The first week we were to do our list of ARCs we currently had and I also explained the read-a-thon a little bit more fully, you can see my original post here.

On my list of TBR Arcs are:

  1. Metaltown by Kristen Simmons
  2. Bad Blood by Dimitria Lunetta
  3. Quinsey Wolfe’s Glass Vault by Candace Robinson
  4. Fallen Flame by J.M. Miller
  5. Dragon Redeemer by Amy Bearce
  6. House of Ash by Hope Cooke
  7. Fall of Thrones and Thorns by Jennifer Ellision
  8. Riot of Storm and Smoke by Jennifer Ellision
  9. The Ghost King by Jeff Altabef
  10. When I Cast Your Shadow by Sarah Porter
  11. Immersed  by Jennetta Penner

So far, I still haven’t received any news on whether or not I’ve been approved for any more eARCs from NetGalley.


Week of July 6th: Explain You Review System/ Review Policy

Everyone has their own way to give star ratings, and I try to be very subjective when giving them out. I think I am very picky when giving out 5 star ratings, and I tend to give more 3 and 4 star ratings than anything else. Below I broke down my star rating system.

5 Stars – LOVED IT!  Would recommend the book to others.

4 Stars – Enjoyable and a great read.

3 Stars – An okay read – did not love it but liked it.

2 Stars – It was okay.

1 Star – Did not like it – was not enjoyable and lost interest in it.

Typically, for eARCs on NetGalley I only request the ones I have an interest in, so I never have a problem with deciding if I want to read the ARC or not. When a publisher or author asks me to review their book, I typically want to know what genre their book is in and the blurb. That way I can also look up what else the author has written and decide if it is something that I am interested in. I also take into account how many ARCs I already have, and if I have any deadlines coming up whether its for reviews or in my personal life. After accepting an ARC, I keep my reviews pretty unbiased and stick to just what I liked and didn’t like about the book. If an author/publisher requests a review, but asks that I contact them first if I am going to give anything less than 4 stars, I typically go ahead and pass on those books. I don’t like being told that in order to read a book and leave a review I have to follow certain guidelines and potentially skew my review just to fit their criteria. I like giving 100% honest reviews, and there are other books out there that I could read that lets me do that.

How do you  review books? What is your star rating breakdown?

Posted in Young Adult

June Wrap Up

Hey all, I know it’s already almost a week into July, but with the holiday it was a little busy at my house. I had to play protector to my dogs who were terrified of the fireworks. Thankfully, my neighborhood didn’t go all out like they normally do, so we only had to really deal with it for two days. Other than that, it was nice just being able to stand in my living room and watch fireworks without having to deal with mosquitos and the summer heat! How did you spend your fourth?

This month was a good reading month for me. I was able to read a good amount of books, but then I hit a reading slump near the end of the month. =/ I’m going on vacation soon (and we’re driving, ugh) so hopefully I’ll be able to read a bunch of books on the road.

This month I read:

Not bad considering I’ve been reading like one book a month during the Spring semester. I feel like now that it’s summer I have more time to do things, but I just have no motivation to do so, especially since I am supposed to be writing my thesis which is due at the end of the month!

  1. 13 Reasons Why by Jay Asher 4 out of 5 stars
  2. Bad Blood by Demitria Lunetta 3 out of 5 stars
  3. Quinsey Wolfe’s Glass Vault by Candace Robinson 4 out of 5 stars
  4. Fallen Flame by J.M. Miller 3 out of 5 stars
  5. Rook by Sharon Cameron 4 out of 5 stars
  6. House of Ash by Hope Cook 4 out of 5 stars

I really suck at giving myself a monthly TBR pile, so I’m not going to make one the month of July. I’ll just read whatever book I pick up, because honestly it’s probably been on my TBR shelf for awhile. I’ll just set a goal of reading 5 books this month! I think that will be more obtainable!

In June, other than reading and my normal weekly blog posts, I started an ARC TBR Takedown Read-A-Thon hosted by Sam @RiverMoose-Reads. You can check out my first post with all of the info below. If you have a bunch of unread ARCs you can still join! It goes until the end of the month!

ARC TBR Takedown Read-A-Thon

I am on a book buying ban, so I haven’t bought a single book since probably April! Which I am very proud of myself for. Although I really want Sarah Dessen’s new book that just came out earlier in June, and of course when Leigh Bardugo release’s her book all bets are off!

How was your month of June? Did you accomplish any reading or blogging goals?

Posted in Young Adult

ARC TBR Takedown Read-A-Thon Week 5

img_1351I started Sam @RiverMoose-Reads ARC TBR Read-A-Thon reading challenge earlier this month, and I’m excited that it’s time for another weekly blog post!

The first week we were to do our list of ARCs we currently had and I also explained the read-a-thon a little bit more fully, you can see my original post here.

On my list of TBR Arcs are:

  1. Metaltown by Kristen Simmons
  2. Bad Blood by Dimitria Lunetta
  3. Quinsey Wolfe’s Glass Vault by Candace Robinson
  4. Fallen Flame by J.M. Miller
  5. Dragon Redeemer by Amy Bearce
  6. House of Ash by Hope Cooke
  7. Fall of Thrones and Thorns by Jennifer Ellision
  8. Riot of Storm and Smoke by Jennifer Ellision
  9. The Ghost King by Jeff Altabef

So far, I still haven’t received any news on whether or not I’ve been approved for any more eARCs from NetGalley.


Week of June 29th: When/Why Do You Request Arcs

I normally only request ARCs if the premise intrigues me. To me if it has a good one, then I’ll just go ahead and request it regardless of who the author is or where it’s being published. I would rather read a good book by a new up and coming author, than a book that might just be okay by a well established author.

I typically only request ARCs if I don’t have any pending reviews in my NetGalley account, or if I am just looking for a new book in general. Since NetGalley can sometimes take a few days or longer to approve or deny, I try to anticipate my reading needs and my availability to read them. Although, my physical TBR shelves are overflowing, I like to read at least one ARC in between my other books. Sometimes, I just also read a bunch of eARCS back to back because they are on my Kindle and I tend to do a lot of reading at night before bed.

When do you typically request ARCS?

Posted in Young Adult

Arc TBR Takedown Read-A-Thon Week 4

I started Sam @RiverMoose-Reads Arc TBR Read-A-Thon reading challenge last week, and I have finally caught up!

The first week we were to do our list of Arcs we currently had and I explained the read-a-thon a little bit more fully, you can see my original post here. On my list of TBR Arcs are:

  1. Metaltown by Kristen Simmons
  2. Bad Blood by Dimitria Lunetta
  3. Quinsey Wolfe’s Glass Vault by Candace Robinson
  4. Fallen Flame by J.M. Miller
  5. Dragon Redeemer by Amy Bearce
  6. House of Ash by Hope Cooke
  7. Fall of Thrones and Thorns by Jennifer Ellision
  8. Riot of Storm and Smoke by Jennifer Ellision
  9. The Ghost King by Jeff Altabef

So far, I still haven’t received any news on whether or not I’ve been approved for any more eArcs from NetGalley.


Week 4: Let’s Talk NetGalley

I really love NetGalley and have been using it for almost two years now. For those of you who don’t know what NetGalley is it’s a website that allows you to potentially read, review, and recommend books that are either recently published or about to be published. It’s a great place to try to get eArcs from authors/publishers. It’s broken down by genre, and then that specific genre is broken down into available for request, read now (no waiting required), most requested, and previously on NetGalley. I honestly only look at the available for request section since eventually all the books end up in one of the other subcategories. The best part about this site is that it’s free! I’ve tried doing other sites that are similar, but I was never approved and it was a lot more complicated to request a book than it is with NetGalley. They have this figured out. They only request that you keep your review response to at least 80% or above. Which isn’t hard to do if you remember to review all the books you receive from them, and typically most people leave reviews on their own blog or Goodreads anyway so all you have to do is copy and paste it into the NetGalley review box. Easy Peasy.

Sometimes, I do wish that they had more “popular” authors, or maybe I’m just a little bit disappointed that I never seem to be approved for their books. For an up and coming author, it seems as if I am always approved. I’ve currently been approved for about 50ish books, and been denied about 25ish times. So my ratio is pretty good, and most times it’s because the publishers already had enough reviews of the book.

Do you use NetGalley? What do you think of it? Do you use another website that allows you to read eArcs?

 

 

Posted in Young Adult

Arc TBR Takedown Read-A-Thon Week 3

IMG_3145I started Sam @RiverMoose-Reads Arc TBR Read-A-Thon reading challenge this week, so I am still playing catch up on the weekly blogging posts (luckily I was only 3 behind so after this one I am all caught up).

The first week we were to do our list of Arcs we currently had and I explained the read-a-thon a little bit more fully, you can see my original post here. On my list of TBR Arcs are:

  1. Metaltown by Kristen Simmons
  2. Bad Blood by Dimitria Lunetta
  3. Quinsey Wolfe’s Glass Vault by Candace Robinson
  4. Fallen Flame by J.M. Miller
  5. Dragon Redeemer by Amy Bearce
  6. House of Ash by Hope Cooke
  7. Fall of Thrones and Thorns by Jennifer Ellision
  8. Riot of Storm and Smoke by Jennifer Ellision
  9. The Ghost King by Jeff Altabef

So far, I still haven’t received any news on whether or not I’ve been approved for any more eArcs from NetGalley.


Week 3 (June 15th): Most disappointing Denials

For me, I don’t really get disappointed in being denied. I kind of just shrug it off and say better luck next time. It seems as if I am normally denied on NetGalley from very popular/famous authors, and I am always approved for indie authors. So, if it’s an author  I know that I have very little chance of getting approved of, I don’t put much hope into actually getting it. But who knows, maybe one day I’ll get lucky and get approved for one of those most anticipated books!

I’ve only been using NetGalley for almost 2 years now and I have only been denied 26 times and approved for 52 titles. So, as you can see I am active, but not as much as I would like to be. Maybe that has some impact on whether or not I am approved for certain books.

Some books I was denied that were disappointing to me even though I try not to be were:

  • Daughter of the Pirate King by Tricia Levenseller
  • Stealing Snow by Danielle Paige (I am in the middle of reading this now, and I am really enjoying it)
  • Missing by Kelley Armstrong (one of my favorite authors!)
  • And the Trees Crept In by Dawn Kurtagich
  • Caraval by Stephanie Garber

How do you handle denials from NetGalley or any other similar eArc website? What books have you been denied that was really disappointing?

Posted in Young Adult

Arc TBR Takedown Read-A-Thon Week 2

img_1107

I started Sam @RiverMoose-Reads Arc TBR Read-A-Thon reading challenge this week, so I am still playing catch up on the weekly blogging posts (luckily I was only 3 behind so I am almost caught up).

The first week we were to do our list of Arcs we currently had, you can see my original post here. On my list of TBR Arcs are:

  1. Metaltown by Kristen Simmons
  2. Bad Blood by Dimitria Lunetta
  3. Quinsey Wolfe’s Glass Vault by Candace Robinson
  4. Fallen Flame by J.M. Miller
  5. Dragon Redeemer by Amy Bearce
  6. House of Ash by Hope Cooke
  7. Fall of Thrones and Thorns by Jennifer Ellision
  8. Riot of Storm and Smoke by Jennifer Ellision
  9. The Ghost King by Jeff Altabef

So far, I still haven’t received any news on whether or not I’ve been approved for any more eArcs from NetGalley.


Week 2 (June 8th): What do you do when you have to DNF or negatively review an arc?

This is kind of a hard question, I don’t really like to DNF books but if I have to I will. My philosophy is that are plenty of unread books out there waiting for me to read than to suffer through a book that doesn’t have my interest at all. I do try to give books a chance though. I will at least read a couple of chapters or at least 50-100 pages before calling it quits. Thankfully, I haven’t really had to DNF a lot of books, but when I do I find it extremely more difficult to write a review since I didn’t read the entire book.

On the question how I negatively review an arc, I am just totally honest in my opinion. I would rather hear someone’s honest opinion than read all these glowing reviews only to strongly dislike the book. I like reading the mix reviews because then I know what I am getting myself into, and then can base my judgement myself rather than wondering why so many people loved the book and I didn’t. When I write a negative review, I just try to be critical in my analysis but then also say some things that I did enjoy about the book. I don’t like leaving negative reviews, but I will if I have to.

What do you do when you have to DNF or leave a negative review? Let’s start a discussion!

 

Posted in Arc, Young Adult

TBR Takedown Read-A-Thon

Thanks to a blogger that I recently started following, I saw this read-a-thon in one of her blog posts and just had to check it out. The TBR Takedown Read-A-Thon was created by Sam @RiverMoose-Reads (<— Click here to see the original post).  I thought this was a great idea, mainly because it’s summer and I just started knocking off some of my arcs on my list.

This read-a-thon started June 1st and ends July 31st, so I am already a few weeks behind and I’ll spend the rest of the week to catch up!

Rules (because everything has to have rules to follow in order to feel accomplished in completing something ;)):

  • Each book that counts must be an arc or review copy sent to you by an author, publisher, bookstore or review site like Netgalley.
  • Can be ebook or physical or audiobook.
  • Any genre.
  • Must be reviewed within the Read-A-Thon time frame (or, confirm review written and scheduled for release day).
  • Everyone welcome to join.
  • Non-review copy/arc reads will only count if you are COMPLETELY caught up on your arc/review copy TBR AND they are backlogged books (out a year +) (Also applies for those who want to participate but don’t have any ARCs).
  • Leave a comment on the original post and she will add you to her master list.
  • NO REQUESTING NEW ARCS DURING THE READ-A-THON,  IT DEFEATS THE PURPOSE.

She also included levels and prizes for each level accomplished, which I thought was a really nice touch. Other than the read-a-thon, she included blogging weekly topics. I thought this was a great idea, and was one of the reasons I really wanted to join.


Week one (June 1st): What ARCS do you currently have? + Top 10 Most Anticipated to Read Arcs.

I really don’t have exactly 10 arcs waiting to be read right now, mainly because I only request a few at a time so that I don’t feel overwhelmed by the sheer amount of TBR books. But, I do have some right now (and I will include the ones I already read when the read-a-thon started).

Some of the titles will have links to my reviews if I have already read it.

badblood

Bad Blood

Bad Blood by Demitria Lunetta

Published: March 14th 2017 by Delacorte Books for Young Readers

Source: NetGalley

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars


quinseywolfe

Quinsey Wolfe's Glass Vault (Glass Vault, #1)

Quincey Wolfe’s Glass Vault (Glass Vault series #1) by Candace Robinson

Published: May 16th 2017 by CreateSpace

Source: NetGalley

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

I am on the list to receive the second and last book in the duology, but unfortunately that won’t happen until August after the read-a-thon ends.


fallenflameFallen Flame (Fallen Flame #1) by J.M. Miller

Expected Publication: June 19th 2017

Source: NetGalley

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

 


Dragon Redeemer

Dragon Redeemer (World of Aluvia, #3)

Dragon Redeemer (World of Aluvia #3) by Amy Bearce

Published: May 23rd 2017 by Curiosity Quills Press

Source: Curiosity Quills Press


img_1351

Metaltown

Metaltown by Kristen Simmons

Published: September 20th 2016 by Tor Teen

Source: Wiley Publications


houseofashHouse of Ash

House of Ash by Hope Cooke
Expected Publication: September 26th 2017 by Amulet Books
Source: NetGalley

riotofstormandsmoke

Riot of Storm and Smoke (Threats of Sky and Sea, #2)

Riot of Storm and Smoke (Threats of Sky and Sea #2) by Jennifer Ellision

Published: August 17th 2015

Source: NetGalley


fallofthronesandthorns

Fall of Thrones and Thorns (Threats of Sky and Sea, #3)
Fall of Thrones and Thorns (Threats of Sea and Sky #3) by Jennifer Ellision
Published: September 27th 2016
Source: NetGalley

Well I have 8 so far, so that isn’t too bad. I do have a couple waiting approval through NetGalley, so hopefully I will be able to add them to this list pretty soon.

Posted in Arc, Young Adult

Red Death Review

Red Death (Book #1) by Jeff Altabef reddeath

Expected Publication: November 28th 2016 by Evolved Publishing

Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars

Format: eArc provided by author

Goodreads Summary:

What happens when everything you believed turns out to be a lie?

Every child of Eden fears the Red Death. All those afflicted with the plague die young, their souls stripped away as punishment for ancient sins long forgotten. For centuries, Guardians have protected Eden from the Red Death by killing outsiders who stray too close.

Seventeen-year-old Aaliss is a highly-trained Guardian, but when her rather odd thirteen-year-old brother, Wilky, discovers a cure to the plague, her world turns upside down. Branded as traitors by the corrupt High Priest, Aaliss and Wilky are forced to seek refuge in the last place Aaliss thought she’d ever go—beyond the boundaries of Eden and into the land of the Soulless. Here they must navigate a medieval world filled with witches, magic, and warrior kingdoms run by Elders only a few years older than her.

Aaliss yearns to return home, but when her heart tugs her deeper into the world of the Soulless, she questions everything she once believed. Has her soul been taken? Will she and Wilky fall victim to the Red Death, or might they die sooner in the center of a battle that threatens to tear apart the Soulless world? Or… might Aaliss finally find, against all odds, what her heart has yearned for all along?

You have a responsibility. What you do with it is up to you, but you cannot pretend it doesn’t exist. If you fail to take it seriously, it will take you , and you will lose all ability to choose your way.

I didn’t really know what I was getting into when I agreed to read this book. Honestly, it sat in my Kindle books for a few months, before I remembered I had to read it before next week. Man, once I started reading it it was so hard to put down until I finished!

This dystopian novel is full of twists and turns that was well written and  I was easily sucked into it. Red Death is told in multiple points of view, which at first I found a bit difficult because I didn’t know how they would all fit in with each other. After the first couple of POV’s, the author quickly started drawing connections to some of them and by the end you knew how everyone was essential to the story.

The plot moved not very quickly, but quick enough for me. Aaliss and her brother Wilky run away from Eden before they are killed and search for the ingredients for the cure. This was definitely a heroes journey, just maybe not in so many steps as in Joseph Campbells Monomyth. For the entirety of the book Aaliss thought she would find the cure and go back to Eden to claim her innocence, but by the end she has to make a choice.

Aaliss is a very strong and independent main character, and she has a strong moral code for a guardian of Eden. Her sole purpose is to keep Wilky safe from the Soulless and to find the cure for him to take so he won’t die from the Red Death, which before Wilky there was no cure and once you contracted it you die. I think out of all of the characters, Aaliss had the most character development. In the beginning it was just her and Wilky, and by the end she started accepting more people into her little group. Which spoke volumes after being taught that the Soulless were not people at all but servants of the Dark One.

Wilky is probably the most interesting character out of the bunch, and the novel seems to quietly revolve around him and his special powers. He can sometimes get visions of the future that are not set in stone, and so he basically sets everything in motion to get everyone prepared for what is to come. He is wanted by the Dark One for some reason, and hopefully in the second book we will get more insight into why.

Overall, this book has a bit of everything for everyone. This had adventure, witches, religious zealots (who may or may not be following a false prophet), blackmail, and a tiny bit of romance. I am ready for book 2 to come out so that I can see what happens to Aaliss and Wilky in the upcoming battle!

This eArc was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review

 

Posted in Arc, Young Adult

Configured Review

Configured by Jenetta Pennerconfiguredfinal-cover

Expected Publication: October 20th 2016

Format: eARC

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Goodreads Summary:

In the future love will make you a traitor.

120 years after a virus decimated earth’s population the survivors thrive in safety, away from the death and destruction of the Outerbounds. Divided into three levels of intellect, Citizens focus solely on duty.

Due to her advanced intelligence, seventeen-year-old Avlyn Lark is separated from her twin brother at birth and raised by adoptive parents. She gains privilege, the ideal future. He dies. Avlyn barely knows him yet remains linked to his memory.

But following a string of rebel intrusions on the city, Avlyn receives a cryptic message and begins seeing visions of her dead twin. The mysterious radical who urges Avlyn to join their fight becomes her link to answers. Freedom.

Opportunity awaits, but if she says yes will she lose it all?

Configured is the first novel in a trilogy YA dystopian/light romance that poses the question: does humanity need love for survival? Fans of Divergent, Matched, and the Maze Runner will love this world of dark secrets, intrigue and desire for a better tomorrow.

I received this book as an advanced reader copy from the author herself in exchange for an honest review.

“Defiant thoughts roll around in my brain. Why is it that a few people get to decide how we should live?”

I have read a lot of dystopian novels in the past few years, and this one stands out from the masses. I loved almost every aspect of it. The plot moved fairly quickly, and you never knew what direction it was going to go in. The supporting characters were amazing, and the main character herself was decent. I did get a Divergent/The Giver vibe, but only a tad bit. I kept thinking that Affinity will show a bad side to themselves, like in The Hunger Games, but it never happened. Which I was greatful for, there already are plenty of books where the rebel cause is just as bad as the current government.

“No one should die for the right to love. That kind of freedom is worth fighting for.”

As far as world building goes, Penner does a great job of going into detail about her new dystopian world. While I don’t necessarily want a food printer, I wouldn’t mind having an EP. Who wouldn’t like to know when someone you don’t like is about to go around the corner? Elora through Avlyn’s eyes was great. In the beginning, we see how Avlyn struggles to fit in with her fellow citizens and her prejudices for Level Ones. As she transitions to a rebel for Affinity, we see how she struggles with this new idea that she doesn’t have to hide her emotions around them

“If I’m going to die, I’m at least going to try to save my parents.”

I think I enjoyed the supporting characters a little bit more than our MC, Avlyn. I thought Avlyn was a little bit of a weak character, but she was strong when she needed to be. I wanted her to have more of a backbone at least by halfway through the novel, but she didn’t develop it until near the end. It seemed as if every time Avlyn resolved that she had made the right choice in picking the rebel cause, she would grow and become more confident in her decisions. But then, the next time a mission or something comes up, we are back to square one with the indecision. This aspect was the only part of the book that I did not enjoy. I hope in the second book Avlyn will be a stronger character than she was in this one. I also hope that we find out more about Avlyns immersion power(?), she used it all throughout the book but she would only say she doesn’t know why it happens. I was hoping she would discover a little bit more about her ability at some point in the book, but maybe that’ll be in the next installment.

“‘Avlyn, this world is both beautiful and broken.’ She closes her eyes, and her breathing slows. ‘Make more beautiful moments than broken ones.'”

The supporting characters were what made the book, in my opinion! Meyer…what can I say about him that won’t give anything away? He is the stereotypical stoic guy who only treats Avlyn like an assignment, but really has feelings for her deep down. I like that Penner didn’t include a insta-love type of situation here, their feelings grew gradually and wasn’t the main aspect of the book. Sometimes romance takes over a book and the plot gets lost, I am glad to say that it did not happen here. Everyone else you had to wonder if they were a part of Affinity or not, which made it interesting to find out who actually was a rebel.

“Everyone has secrets.”

If you are a fan of dystopian novels, you should definitely check out this book. You also get a nice dose of futuristic technology, that I wish we had today! For a debut novel, Penner did an excellent job of drawing the reader in from the very beginning. I can’t wait to see what is in store next for Avlyn, Meyer and all the other characters!