Tag Archives: dystopian
Select (The Select, Book 1)
JUVENILE FICTION
Charlesbridge Publishing
2017
352
Coming from a race of highly evolved humans, Julia Jaynes has the perfect lifeEor so she thinks. After she accidentally disrupts the Jaynes' delicate anonymity by falling for a normal human guy, Julia is banished to the one place meant to make her feel inferior: public high school.
Review:
“Select” is one of those books that sounded so good and then failed to live up to the hype, in my opinion. The plot is a very slow burn. It seemed to take forever for something, anything, to happen. On top of that, I just did not care for the characters or the love interests at all. It wasn’t awful, but it wasn’t good, either. If it sounds interesting to you, give it a try, but I can’t recommend it.
This unbiased review is based upon a complimentary copy provided by the publisher.
Content Warning:
Language, Sexual Situations, Violence
Freefall
Young Adult Fiction
Simon and Schuster
September 26, 2017
368
Cam is eager to leave Earth with the rest of the elite 1% until he connects with one of the 99%, Sofie, and joins her in the fight for Lowerworld rights.
Review:
I am definitely in the minority with this, but “Freefall” felt blah to me. There was a good story and good world-building in there, but it feels like it moved at a snail’s pace getting to anything exciting. I also felt disconnected from the main characters. This is one of those where I can neither recommend nor not recommend it.
This unbiased review is based upon a complimentary copy provided by the publisher.
Content Warning:
Language, Sexual Situations, Violence
Nyxia (The Nyxia Triad, Book 1)
Young Adult Fiction
Crown Books For Young Readers
2017
384
Emmett accepts an interstellar space contract but learns en route that to win the promised fortune he and nine other recruits face a brutal competition, putting their very humanity at risk.
Review:
I’ll say right off the bat that “Nyxia” borrowed quite a few elements from other science-fiction and dystopian works. That being said, it didn’t diminish my enjoyment. It was a quick read that left me wanting more. Emmett is complex, as are the secondary characters, and there are definitely deeper things going on that I want to know about. Unfortunately, I’ll have to wait for the second book. The cast of characters is extremely diverse. This is a good setup to the rest of the trilogy that I can easily recommend to those who enjoy science-fiction or dystopian novels.
This unbiased review is based upon a complimentary copy provided by the publisher.
Content Warning:
Language, Sexual Situations, Violence
The List
Juvenile Fiction
Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
August 1, 2017
384
Farenheit 451 meets The Giver in this gripping story about the power of words and the dangers of censorship In the city of Ark, speech is constrained to five hundred sanctioned words. Speak outside the approved lexicon and face banishment. The exceptions are the Wordsmith and his apprentice Letta, the keepers and archivists of all language in their post-apocalyptic, neo-medieval world.On the death of her master, Letta is suddenly promoted to Wordsmith, charged with collecting and saving words. But when she uncovers a sinister plan to suppress language and rob Ark's citizens of their power of speech, she realizes that it's up to her to save not only words, but culture itself.
Review:
“The List” is a middle grade dystopia with a good premise: words are dangerous and by limiting them you can control how people spread ideas. The city of Ark has 250 approved words, and it is up to Letta to keep the meanings of the others. The problem is that the narrative is muddled and slow because so many other issues are tackled but not given any depth. Everything from religion to the environment to prisoner’s rights are thrown in and it keeps the story from flowing well. I would stick with “The Giver” when it comes to middle graders.
This unbiased review is based upon a complimentary copy provided by the publisher.
Content Warning:
Violence
Zero Repeat Forever (Nahx Invasions, Book 1)
Nahx Invasions, Book 1
Young Adult Fiction
Simon and Schuster
August 29, 2017
496
Sixteen year-old Raven, injured and still grieving over her boyfriend's death by the invading Nahx, crosses paths with Eighth, a Nyx warrior who has deserted his unit and abandoned his directives, and as the world falls apart around them, the two learn to trust each other in order to survive.
Review:
I really wanted to like “Zero Repeat Forever.” It has so much that I love: aliens, survivalism, nightmare-inducing scenarios. Unfortunately, it fell very flat. The chapters featuring Raven seemed to drag on in an effort to make the “forever” in the title seem literal. I also did not find her character likable at all. The only redeeming parts of the book were Eighth and diversity. I can’t recommend it to even the biggest of alien invasion fans.
This unbiased review is based upon a complimentary copy provided by the publisher.
Content Warning:
Language, Sexual Situations, Violence, Underage Drug and Alcohol Use
Garden of Thorns
Young Adult Fiction
Entangled Publishing
February 27, 2017
370
After seven grueling years of captivity in the Garden--a burlesque troupe of slave girls--sixteen-year-old Rose finds an opportunity to escape during a performance for the emperor. But the hostage she randomly chose from the crowd to aid her isn't one of the emperor's men--not anymore. He's the former heir to the throne, who is now leading a rebellion against it. Rayce is a wanted man and dangerously charismatic, the worst person for Rose to get involved with, no matter what his smile promises. But he assumes Rose's attempt to take him hostage is part of a plot to crush the rebellion, so he takes her ashis hostage. Now Rose must prove where her loyalties lie, and she offers Rayce a deal--if he helps her rescue the other girls, she'll tell him all the Garden's secrets. Except the one secret she's kept for seven years that she'll to take to her grave if she must.
Review:
I loved “Garden of Thorns.” It features a heroine who kicks butt and an intense political uprising.
The premise has two characters and stories that come together for mutual benefit. Rose was kidnapped as a young child to serve in a burlesque troop made up of underaged slaves. Rayce is leading an uprising against a tyrant. There is romance, but it is sweet and simmering, and not at all graphic. The main plot is focused on the action. Those with weak stomachs beware, the violence is brutal and graphic.
I recommend “Garden of Thorns” for anyone looking for a young adult novel with a strong heroine and a quick-paced plot. I hope there’s a sequel!
This unbiased review is based upon a complimentary copy provided by the publisher.
Content Warning:
Language, Sexual Situations, Graphic Violence, Child Abuse
True North (True Born, Book 2)
True Born, Book 2
Juvenile Fiction
Entangled: Teen
April 4, 2017
Hardcover
400
Abandoned by her family in Plague-ridden Dominion City, eighteen-year-old Lucy Fox has no choice but to rely upon the kindness of the True Borns, a renegade group of genetically enhanced humans, to save her twin sister, Margot. But Nolan Storm, their mysterious leader, has his own agenda. When Storm backtracks on his promise to rescue Margot, Lucy takes her fate into her own hands and sets off for Russia with her True Born bodyguard and maybe-something-more, the lethal yet beautiful Jared Price. In Russia, there's been whispered rumors of Plague Cure.
While Lucy fights her magnetic attraction to Jared, anxious that his loyalty to Storm will hurt her chances of finding her sister, they quickly discover that not all is as it appears…and discovering the secrets contained in the Fox sisters' blood before they wind up dead is just the beginning.
As they say in Dominion, sometimes it’s not you…it’s your DNA.
Review:
“True North” is the second book in the “True Born” trilogy. I found it to be much more fun and less confusing than the first.
Part of the reason it is more fun is that I have accepted the somewhat ridiculous premise and beyond sketchy science and just decided to go along for the ride. There is a new character, Alistair, who is intriguing and has me anxious for the next book to learn more. The romance is also ramped up quite a bit for those who were waiting for that.
If you enjoyed “True Born,” you will love “True North.”
This unbiased review is based upon a complimentary copy provided by the publisher.
Content Warning:
Language, Sexual Situations, Violence
Gilded Cage (Dark Gifts, Book 1)
Dark Gifts, Book 1
Del Rey Books
February 14, 2017
368
For readers of Victoria Aveyard and Kiera Cass comes a darkly fantastical debut set in a modern England where magically gifted aristocrats rule--and commoners are doomed to serve. NOT ALL ARE FREE. NOT ALL ARE EQUAL. NOT ALL WILL BE SAVED. Our world belongs to the Equals--aristocrats with magical gifts--and all commoners must serve them for ten years. But behind the gates of England's grandest estate lies a power that could break the world. A girl thirsts for love and knowledge. Abi is a servant to England's most powerful family, but her spirit is free. So when she falls for one of their noble-born sons, Abi faces a terrible choice. Uncovering the family's secrets might win her liberty--but will her heart pay the price? A boy dreams of revolution. Abi's brother, Luke, is enslaved in a brutal factory town. Far from his family and cruelly oppressed, he makes friends whose ideals could cost him everything. Now Luke has discovered there may be a power even greater than magic: revolution. And an aristocrat will remake the world with his dark gifts. He is a shadow in the glittering world of the Equals, with mysterious powers no one else understands. But will he liberate--or destroy?
Review:
“Gilded Cage” is a good take on a dystopian world mixed with fantasy elements.
The story is well-thought out with multiple points of view effectively used to both advance the story and tell it from different segments of the society. The world-building is excellent. All of the characters are complex and leave some mystery to them to be explored in the next book. There are definitely some parallels to the current political climate throughout the book to be found.
I recommend “Gilded Cage” to lovers of dystopian books mixed with some magical elements. It’s a quick and relatively clean read that is thought-provoking and fun. I’m looking forward to the next book.
This unbiased review is based upon a complimentary copy provided by the publisher.
Content Warning:
Language, Brief Sexual Situations, Violence
Redux (Tricksters #2)
Tricksters, Book 2
Juvenile Fiction
Entangled: Teen
March 21, 2017
428
The domed city of Evanescence is in ruins. With nowhere to go, prodigy hacker Ellani “Ella” Drexel and a small band of survivors flee to the Undertunnel below their city. To escape the wasteland she unknowingly created. But sanctuary is hard to find. With malfunctioning androids and angry rebels at their backs, the group hopes to press on for the neighboring city of Cadence. But Ella’s chosen path is challenging...life-threatening, even. Worse, the boy she loves is acting distant, and not at all like the person she first met in Nexis. But then Ella learns a secret...and it changes everything. Ella knows she needs to turn back and make a stand to reclaim her home. She’s determined to bring a new—and better—life to all who’ve suffered. Or die trying.
Review:
The second book in the Tricksters series, “Redux”, left me feeling somewhat let down.
The plot is fun and kept my attention, but there were large info dumps throughout that could be quite confusing. I understand that the characters were not aware of the situations, so it was like they were finding everything out all at once, but for the ease of the reader it could have been handled better.
“Redux” is still a good escape type of book, and I encourage those who enjoyed “Nexis” to continue with the series.
This unbiased review is based upon a complimentary copy provided by the publisher.
Content Warning:
Language, Sexual Situations, Violence
Glitter
Glitter Duology, Book 1
JUVENILE FICTION
Random House Books for Young Readers
October 25, 2016
384
"A teenager living in an alternate-history futuristic Versailles must escape its walls by selling a happy-enducing makeup called Glitter"--
Review:
“Glitter” is definitely a unique book that will appeal to many. Unfortunately, I am not one of them.
The world is fascinating and the characters are diverse. The author did not do an info dump about it all, which was both appreciated and frustrating. By frustrating, I mean it seemed to go too long before anything at all was explained. It read slowly for me, but overall was well-written, and I believe many will fall in love with the story.
“Glitter” is a book I can neither recommend nor warn against. My suggestion is to try it yourself if it sounds like something that may appeal to you.
This unbiased review is based upon a complimentary copy provided by the publisher.
Content Warnings:
Language, Sexual Situations, Violence, Smoking, Underage Drinking, drug abuse
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