Blog Tour and Giveaway: End Times by Anna Schumacher

Today we have the pleasure of hosting the End Times Blog Tour!  Anna has graciously given us a wonderful question and answer guest post!!!  Thanks Anna!  

Don't forget to comment on this post for a chance to win a copy!!!

Carbon County, Wyoming is like a current running through Daphne’s heart.

When life gets too tough to bear in Detroit, Daphne flees to her Uncle Floyd’s home, where she believes she’ll find solace in the silent hills of her childhood summers. But Daphne’s Greyhound bus pulls over in downtown Carbon County and it’s not silence that welcomes her. It’s the sound of trumpets.

Daphne’s desire to start again in simple country comfort is instantly dashed as the townsfolk declare that the End Times are here. And incredible occurrences soon support their belief. Daphne does all she can to keep her head down and ignore the signs. She works a job at the local oil rig, helps around the house, hangs out with her pregnant cousin Janie and gets to know Owen, a mysterious motocross racer and fellow roustabout at the rig. But soon a startling discovery shatters her resolve and calls into question all her doubts and fears.
               
Daphne landed in Carbon County for a reason. She only has to read the signs—and believe

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Q&A with Anna Schumacher

What are 7 things you learned from writing your first book?

Here are 7 things I learned from writing my first book:

It is, in fact, possible to write and sell a novel while working fulltime, maintaining friendships and a relationship, and still enjoying your life. It just takes a little extra discipline, and the willingness to make the time.

Your work is only as good as the team around you. I was so fortunate to have an amazing editor, agent, and publicist who believed in the book as much as I did – sometimes more! I couldn’t have done this without them.

Nothing kills writer’s block like a hoop jam! Sometimes the only way I could get unstuck was to get up, grab my hoop, and move. 

When it comes to time, more is more. I wrote END TIMES over the course of a summer because I was super excited about the idea and wanted to get it all down before it was gone. Then everything happened so fast: Penguin bought it, and wanted it for their spring list, and all of a sudden I had to turn around two new drafts in a month! I’m really happy with the book, but there are things I would have changed if I had more time. It still bothers me that Luna eats bacon in one scene, because in Book 2 I wanted her to be a lifelong vegan!

Some days will be more productive than others. It’s important to grab the productive days by the horns and ride them as hard as you can. 

You can’t just be a writer. You also have to be a reader, a movie-watcher, a theater-goer, an occasional Netflix-binging couch potato. You have to go play outside, go dance, spend time with friends, do yoga – whatever feeds your soul besides writing. Your life becomes unbalanced if you spend all your time producing and none consuming, just as it gets out of whack if you’re always consuming without ever producing. They feed each other, and you need both to survive. 

I thought all I ever wanted was to get a book published. Now, all I want is to write and publish more! 

END TIMES synopsis

When life gets too tough to bear in Detroit, Daphne flees to her Uncle Floyd’s home, where she believes she’ll find solace in the silent hills of her childhood summers. But Daphne’s Greyhound bus pulls over in downtown Carbon County and it’s not silence that welcomes her. It’s the sound of trumpets.

Daphne’s desire to start again in simple country comfort is instantly dashed as the townsfolk declare that the End Times are here. And incredible occurrences soon support their belief. Daphne does all she can to keep her head down and ignore the signs. She works a job at the local oil rig, helps around the house, hangs out with her pregnant cousin Janie and gets to know Owen, a mysterious motocross racer and fellow roustabout at the rig. But soon a startling discovery shatters her resolve and calls into question all her doubts and fears.

Goodreads page for END TIMES: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18667788-end-times

Author bio

Anna Schumacher is an award-winning copy writer who has worked for DailyCandy, Night Agency and is currently the Associate Copy Director at Hearst Digital Media, which manages all marketing for 25 websites including seventeen.com and luckymag.com. A strategic thinker with strong digital expertise and social media fluency, Anna is a fiction writer at heart. She received an MFA in fiction writing from The New School. She lives in Brooklyn, New York with her husband and their two cats, Gus and Alexis.

Twitter: http://twitter.com/SchumacherYA

Tumblr: http://anna-schumacher.tumblr.com/

Goodreads author page: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7341043.Anna_Schumacher

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All you have to do is comment on this post to be entered to win a copy of End Times!!!

Inhuman by Kat Falls

Inhuman by Kat Falls

Published by Scholastic

Available Now

Reviewed by Middle Sis Jenn

The Sisters Say:  Exhilarating, Imaginative and Hot

In a world ravaged by mutation, a teenage girl must travel into the forbidden Savage Zone to recover lost artifacts or her father’s life is forfeit.

America has been ravaged by a war that has left the eastern half of the country riddled with mutation. Many of the people there exhibit varying degrees of animal traits. Even the plantlife has gone feral.

Crossing from west to east is supposed to be forbidden, but sometimes it’s necessary. Some enter the Savage Zone to provide humanitarian relief. Sixteen-year-old Lane’s father goes there to retrieve lost artifacts—he is a Fetch. It’s a dangerous life, but rewarding—until he’s caught.

Desperate to save her father, Lane agrees to complete his latest job. That means leaving behind her life of comfort and risking life and limb—and her very DNA—in the Savage Zone. But she’s not alone. In order to complete her objective, Lane strikes a deal with handsome, roguish Rafe. In exchange for his help as a guide, Lane is supposed to sneak him back west. But though Rafe doesn’t exhibit any signs of “manimal” mutation, he’s hardly civilized . . . and he may not be trustworthy

I have been in a YA reading slump for the last two months, and I was almost ready to throw in the towel.  I thought maybe it was me just not being in the mindset for YA, but then I picked up Inhuman by Kat Falls.  I hadn’t heard much about it, and the reviews were sketchy; but the synopsis sounded promising.  So, I sat down and started reading….4 hours later and I had finished the book.  I COULD NOT put it down!!!  So, thank you Kat Falls for writing such an amazing YA dystopian AND for bringing me out of my slump!

I was hooked from the first page!  I just loved this world that Kat created—a seemingly perfect world on one side of the wall.  But on the other?  Savages, mutants, mystery, and two devastatingly gorgeous guys that will knock you off your feet.  Kat did such an amazing job setting up this sense of mystery about the other side of the wall, the Feral Zone.  After the gruesome rumors that Lane (our main character) hears, you just can’t help but want her to find her way over the wall and explore the dangerous labyrinth that was once the United States. 

Kat wastes no time bringing our heroine over the wall, and from there, the action abounds.  Every chapter was fast paced, and I never got bored.  I loved to see Kat adjust to live in the Feral Zone, and her compassion and determination really drove the story.

OH, and the boys.  I love them both—which is something I don’t say very often.  Now, I still have a favorite (I’m Team Rafe all the way), but I really enjoyed getting to know each of the guys vying for Lane’s heart.  First, there’s Everson, the soldier she meets just across the wall.  He’s walled off (no pun intended, but hey), and he seems sincere when it comes to his desire to make the world a better place.  While I figured out very quickly who he really was, I still found myself loving his friendliness and attention to Lane.  Then, there’s Rafe, the roguish tough guy who hunts the ferals that put those outside the wall in danger.  He’s my favorite because I love the broken, dangerous ones; not to mention that his cockiness and smirk put him smack in the alpha male zone.  (LOVE!)  We get to see the façade that both of them put on, but there comes a time when we get to see those facades break down; and when they do, gosh, you will just love them more.

The story has an Island of Dr. Moreau feel to it with a mutating virus creating human and animal hybrids.  I loved how imaginative Kat was with her “manimal” creations, and I can’t wait to see what happens in the next book after that explosive ending.

Overall, this was a brilliant read, and I am dying to find out what happens next!  I highly recommend this to those of you who love new and disturbing worlds coupled with a love triangle that will take your breath away.

Champion by Marie Lu Trailer and Giveaway

The time is almost here!  It's bittersweet for a final book to finally be here!  It's been years in the waiting, but it's always sad to say goodbye to the characters we love!  Especially June and Day because they are some of my favorites!  To help hold you over those last few days, we have the official trailer for Champion and a special giveaway! 
  

The explosive finale to Marie Lu’s New York Times bestselling LEGEND trilogy—perfect for fans of THE HUNGER GAMES and DIVERGENT!

He is a Legend.
She is a Prodigy.
Who will be Champion?

June and Day have sacrificed so much for the people of the Republic—and each other—and now their country is on the brink of a new existence. June is back in the good graces of the Republic, working within the government’s elite circles as Princeps Elect while Day has been assigned a high level military position. But neither could have predicted the circumstances that will reunite them once again. Just when a peace treaty is imminent, a plague outbreak causes panic in the Colonies, and war threatens the Republic’s border cities. This new strain of plague is deadlier than ever, and June is the only one who knows the key to her country’s defense. But saving the lives of thousands will mean asking the one she loves to give up everything he has. With heart-pounding action and suspense, Marie Lu’s bestselling trilogy draws to a stunning conclusion.

AMAZON | BARNES AND NOBLE

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I write young adult novels, and have a special love for dystopian books. Ironically, I was born in 1984. Before becoming a full-time writer, I was an Art Director at a video game company. Now I shuffle around at home and talk to myself a lot. :)

I graduated from the University of Southern California in '06 and currently live in LA, where I spend my time stuck on the freeways.

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Not A Drop to Drink by Mindy McGinnis

Not A Drop to Drink by Mindy McGinnis

eARC received from Harper Teen via Edelweiss

Release Date:  9-24-2013

Reviewed by:  Middle Sis Jenn

The Sisters Say:  Quick and interesting read, but seemed a bit flat

Regret was for people with nothing to defend, people who had no water. Lynn knows every threat to her pond: drought, a snowless winter, coyotes, and, most importantly, people looking for a drink. She makes sure anyone who comes near the pond leaves thirsty, or doesn't leave at all.

Confident in her own abilities, Lynn has no use for the world beyond the nearby fields and forest. Having a life means dedicating it to survival, and the constant work of gathering wood and water. Having a pond requires the fortitude to protect it, something Mother taught her well during their quiet hours on the rooftop, rifles in hand.

But wisps of smoke on the horizon mean one thing: strangers. The mysterious footprints by the pond, nighttime threats, and gunshots make it all too clear Lynn has exactly what they want, and they won’t stop until they get it….

With evocative, spare language and incredible drama, danger, and romance, debut author Mindy McGinnis depicts one girl’s journey in a barren world not so different than our own.

I already know it’s going to be really hard to write this review because this is one of those books that I enjoyed, but it won’t really stay with me.  I’m feeling kind of neutral about it, and I usually have something very opinionated to say about most books I read.  So, instead of jabbering on about my inadequate ability to form words—I’m just going to try and do a quick survey of my likes and dislikes.

First off, I enjoyed the survivalist idea of the book.  It wasn’t necessarily new or different from other dystopian/apocalyptic books out there, but something about it felt different.  I don’t know if it’s because there wasn’t a big journey or anything, but it felt like I was reading something unfamiliar.  This was definitely a good thing because it kept me interested, and I ended up reading the entire book in 2 days.

I also liked the characters, though I wasn’t blown away.  Lynn was strong and had been taught from a young age to be unsympathetic; so it was nice to see her learning to use her heart as well as her head.  I also found myself enjoying the language barrier between herself and the city family she meets later.  Living in the country, not knowing any other living being besides her mother, she was limited in what technology and slang she understood.  She didn’t even know what flirting was!  So, I was in for a few smiles as she tried to transverse a new understanding.

So, what bugged me?  I am still having trouble putting my finger on it.  The book just seemed flat in its action.  There was action here and there, but there were large periods of time where all we got was the day to day tasks that Lynn had to manage.  Adding Lucy and Eli helped a bit, but there still just wasn’t much substance to the plot.  I like big romance or big action, and that just wasn’t something that happened in this book.

The book was more about Lynn’s discovery of herself more than anything.  I wish there would have been more emphasis on the world, especially how bad the cities are getting.  It would have been great for Lynn to have to travel to get something from a city so that we could see the difficulties of life in this world.

Finally, I wasn’t a huge fan of the epilogue.  It didn’t say how long had passed, and it seemed like everything was wrapped up in a nice little bow.  This just seemed a bit unbelievable to me considering the harshness of life in the rest of the book.

Please don’t take this as a negative review because it’s not.  I consider this more of a 3 star, I didn’t love it, I didn’t hate it review.  I do not regret reading it, but at the same time, I don’t think I would have been missing much had I skipped over it for another read. 

Taken by Erin Bowman

Taken by Erin Bowman

ARC received from HarperTeen

On Shelves Now

Reviewed by:  Middle Sis Jenn

The Sisters Say:  A Disappointing Dystopian

There are no men in Claysoot. There are boys—but every one of them vanishes at midnight on his eighteenth birthday. The ground shakes, the wind howls, a blinding light descends…and he’s gone.

They call it the Heist.

Gray Weathersby’s eighteenth birthday is mere months away, and he’s prepared to meet his fate–until he finds a strange note from his mother and starts to question everything he’s been raised to accept: the Council leaders and their obvious secrets. The Heist itself. And what lies beyond the Wall that surrounds Claysoot–a structure that no one can cross and survive.

Climbing the Wall is suicide, but what comes after the Heist could be worse. Should he sit back and wait to be taken–or risk everything on the hope of the other side?

I was so excited to read this one for a few reasons:  1) I hadn’t read much in a male’s POV, 2) The Mystery of the Heist, 3) What’s outside the wall?  All these things intrigued me, so when it showed up on my doorstep, I dove straight in.  Unfortunately, this one was really disappointing to me.  I almost quite at about 150 pages in because I just wasn’t finding the plotline interesting.  Even more, I felt no connection to either of the main characters.  But, I stuck it out because I still wanted to know a bit more, even though I wouldn’t have given it another thought had I just put it aside.  I will say this, though, I’m glad I finished it because the ending was very interesting.  As a result of the ending, I am somewhat interested in reading the sequel because I just have a feeling I’m going to enjoy the sequel much more.

I seem to be in the minority on this one.  Everywhere I look, people are raving about it, so don’t let my opinions stop you from reading it for yourself.  The idea is interesting, and the world itself I found somewhat intriguing.  But, for me, it was missing the flare that makes you want to read one more chapter before bed.  I couldn’t connect with the characters.  At first I thought it was because it was a male pov, but I couldn’t connect with Emma, either.   They just seemed a bit flat to me, and their romance didn’t snare me either.

One of the other things that bothered me was how finicky the main characters appeared.  They fell in love very quickly, and then the moment things started to go wrong, their feelings started to change.  There was no epic love that wins over evil—instead, it was a very immature, flash type of love that burns bright and then flames out very quickly.  With this happening, I just felt like I couldn’t trust the main characters.  Neither of them seemed to know exactly what they wanted, and as a result, I ended up getting frustrated.

I was also surprised with how easily Emma and Grey (along with so many others) accepted the world outside of the wall.  Someone tells them the history, and they are like, oh, okay, good to know.  After living in Claysoot where everything was crazy, I would think they would be a bit more wary of their surroundings. 

While this book wasn’t for me,  I do think that it will be one that quite a few people will like.  It was a quick read (even when I didn’t enjoy it), and the world in and of itself is still interesting.  I just wish the advancement of the plot would have been a bit more dangerous and exciting.  Maybe then I would have enjoyed it a bit more.

Waiting on Wednesday: Frozen by Melissa De La Cruz

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine. It spotlights books that have not yet been released, but ones that you should pre-order today! This week's book that we are anxiously awaiting is FROZEN by Melissa de la Cruz.   FROZEN releases on September 17, 2013 from Putnam Juvenile.

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Set in 111 C.D., one hundred and eleven years after a Catastrophic Disaster has wiped out 99% of humanity and left the earth covered in ice, this new series introduces readers to a ragtag group of friends and the dawning of a new time. The world of reason, of mathematics and science, is ending, and a new civilization is being born from the ice: a world of magic and mayhem, sorcerers and spellcraft.

FROZEN is the first in a trilogy and is set to release in September of 2013.

 

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A world of magic-SOLD!!!  That's all I needed to hear to want to read this one!!

The Ward by Jordana Frankel

The Ward by Jordana Frankel

eARC received from HarperTeen via Edelweiss

Release Date:  4-30-2013

Reviewed by:  Middle Sis Jenn

The Sisters Say:  Thrilling, Thunderous, and Thoroughly Enjoyable

Sixteen-year-old Ren is a daredevil mobile racer who will risk everything to survive in the Ward, what remains of a water-logged Manhattan. To save her sister, who is suffering from a deadly illness thought to be caused by years of pollution, Ren accepts a secret mission from the government: to search for a freshwater source in the Ward, with the hope of it leading to a cure.

However, she never expects that her search will lead to dangerous encounters with a passionate young scientist; a web of deceit and lies; and an earth-shattering mystery that’s lurking deep beneath the water’s rippling surface.

Jordana Frankel’s ambitious debut novel and the first in a two-book series, The Ward is arresting, cinematic, and thrilling—perfect for fans of Scott Westerfeld or Ann Aguirre.

I have been intrigued by the idea of The Ward since I first saw the cover.  Just the idea of our biggest city being overcome by the sea is apocalyptically creepy (and could happen, you never know).  Sadly, what I loved most about the cover (the huge falls on the edge of Manhattan) wasn’t in the story, so I’m thinking it doesn’t really exist in Jordana’s world.  I would have loved it if it did because it would just add one more edge of danger to the ocean city.

So, moving on from the cover, let me say that this book does not disappoint.  I was captured from the start as we get to see Ren drag racing over the tops of buildings.  TOPS OF BUILDINGS!  I loved the descriptions of how the cars would glide through the air from rooftop to rooftop, how they could race down the sides of buildings, or how they could even drive over water, skipping like rocks on the surface of a lake.  It was such a dangerous and captivating idea, and I was immediately sucked into this “above-ground underground” world in which Ren lives. 

The world was by far my favorite part of this book.  Jordana describes it so seamlessly, how many of the buildings are underwater, but many still jut out from the ocean.  Suspension bridges between buildings are used to get around, and vehicles can weave through air and water.  It’s like a futuristic run-down Venice, except instead of people falling in love, you have people just trying to survive.  I got lost in the description of the underground city (Ren drove through it in a submarine like car), and even with all the action and mystery and death, I just couldn’t stop smiling because of how well the scene lifted from the pages.

Okay…so now that I’ve talking glowingly about the setting and Jordana’s amazing imagery in describing it, let’s talk about the main characters.  I really liked Ren—she’s a no bull crap kind of girl, lost in her own broken heart.  But, she doesn’t let that side track her, instead she lets it compel her into living on the edge, because that is where the money is.  She needs the money because her best friend, Aven, has the Blight (a cancerous disease that is always fatal), and medication is extremely expensive.  Ren is tough, and the friendship between Aven and her is one of the strongest I have seen in ya literature.  Even though they didn’t spend much time together in the book, I could just feel the emotion from each of them bleeding from the page.  I found myself stopping multiple times and just thinking about how well Jordana was able to describe their bond.

The rest of the characters are minor characters, and the one thing that bugged me about this book was that I felt like we didn’t see enough of these minor characters.  I wanted to see more Callum and Derek and especially Terrence.  Terence is the good friend who was in the same orphanage as Ren before he got adopted by a rich guy.  He is fun and loyal, and I really enjoyed the scenes where he was there.   Callum is the scientist that shows up (you might consider this a minor spoiler, but I don’t because you find out pretty soon), and I really enjoyed his persistence and dedication.  He was strong in the face of insurmountable odds, and I really loved his quirky, nerdy side, too. 

And then there’s Derek…the love interest.  I’m not sure how I feel about him, though.  You can tell that he likes Ren, but he keeps pushing her away and it drives me bonkers!  He’s definitely hiding something, not that I mind that because mysterious guys are my forte.  He’s up and down throughout the book, but he definitely adds to the suspense.

Overall, the action is great—twists and turns abound, and although some are predictable, I still had fun finding them out.  I loved watching Ren as she is trying to find freshwater, and as she is trying to decide if the government and her friends can be trusted.  I loved the grey areas when it came to who Ren can trust—I had a hard time figuring out who and how many people were going to betray her!  The setting was fantastic—a harsh ocean wonderland where love and trust and loyalty are scarce, and where alliances are just as dangerous as the dark waters.

This is a must read for dystopian fans!  I was thinking it was a stand alone, but after the ending (a cliffhanger, but not a kill you cliffhanger), I’m thinking there has to be a sequel in the works.

Once by Anna Carey

Once by Anna Carey

Won from Andrea at The Bookish Babe

Published by HarperTeen

On Shelves Now

Reviewed by:  Middle Sis Jenn

The Sisters Say:  Action-packed and romantic

When you're being hunted, who can you trust?

For the first time since she escaped from her school many months ago, Eve can sleep soundly. She's living in Califia, a haven for women, protected from the terrifying fate that awaits orphaned girls in The New America.

But her safety came at a price: She was forced to abandon Caleb, the boy she loves, wounded and alone at the city gates. When Eve gets word that Caleb is in trouble, she sets out into the wild again to rescue him, only to be captured and brought to the City of Sand, the capital of The New America.

Trapped inside the City walls, Eve uncovers a shocking secret about her past--and is forced to confront the harsh reality of her future. When she discovers Caleb is alive, Eve attempts to flee her prison so they can be together--but the consequences could be deadly. She must make a desperate choice to save the ones she loves . . . or risk losing Caleb forever.

In this breathless sequel to "Eve," Anna Carey returns to her tale of romance, adventure, and sacrifice in a world that is both wonderfully strange and chillingly familiar.

I was heart-broken when this book started and Eve had been in Califia for a few months without Caleb.  I always hate the inevitable split of the two loves because (even though I know it happens in every book), I still keep thinking that maybe, one of these days, we won’t have to go through the heartbreak of watching the two main characters leave each other.  But, even though I was upset Caleb wasn’t there, I was still swept straight into the action.  Plus, it wasn’t long before word of Caleb slipped into Califia and Eve rushed out after him!

The best part about this book was seeing inside the City of Sand—it was easily recognizable as Las Vegas, but it was really cool to hear about how everything had fallen apart since the plague.  You could just picture the dilapidated buildings that the desert was trying to reclaim, and the way Anna described it was beautiful and eerie.  I think many who thought there was a lack in world building will get a little more of what they want in this installment.

I also loved that we got to meet the bad guys—The Kings and his loyal henchmen.  The worst one for me was Lieutenant Stark—grrr!  I just wanted someone to rear back and slug him right in the face…over and over again because he was such a JERK!  The greed and hatred and fear that consumed the King and his men was evident in their word and in their actions, and the tyranny and threat of violence hung heavy in the air.  Anna’s writing was so beautiful and intoxicating that I read this book in less than 3 hours!

I felt like Eve had grown up a bit in this one, realizing the sacrifices that she must be willing to make in order to fight the regime.  However, like in the first book, she made rash decisions that often made things even worse for her.  I wish she would have stepped back, taken a breath, and approached thing more rationally.  Now, I say that, but if I were in her position, I don’t know if I would have been able to think rationally either.

I really loved Caleb in this one—he was smart and strong, and I loved the way he resisted the tyranny of the King.  He didn’t just whine about his predicament, instead, he stepped up and threw himself right into the middle of the rebellion.  He was really a strong character in this one, and it made me love him even more.  Plus, his humor and soft side were much more apparent, and I felt myself falling for him all over again!  There were some great scenes between him and Eve, and I do wish there would have been more of them.  The one really important scene was very “fade to black,” too, and it took me a few pages to figure out what they did/did not do. 

The only thing that bugged me is the ending---oh my gosh, I’m not a fan of cliffhangers!  Thank goodness I had a copy of Rise, or I would have had a conniption.  So, warning—if you haven’t read this one, you might want to wait the two months until Rise is released!  Otherwise, you might have a small book-related stroke.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book.  I enjoyed it more than Eve, and I really loved getting to see inside the world and characters even more.  Fans of Eve will love this one!

Mini Review (by YA Sisterhood's Mom!): Wasteland by Susan Kim

Hey everyone!  Once again, YA Sisterhood's mom is helping out the blog!  She's given us a few words to share on Susan Kim's upcoming dystopian novel Wasteland.

Welcome to the Wasteland. Where all the adults are long gone, and now no one lives past the age of nineteen. Susan Kim and Laurence Klavan’s post-apocalyptic debut is the first of a trilogy in which everyone is forced to live under the looming threat of rampant disease and brutal attacks by the Variants —- hermaphroditic outcasts that live on the outskirts of Prin. Esther thinks there’s more to life than toiling at harvesting, gleaning, and excavating, day after day under the relentless sun, just hoping to make it to the next day. But then Caleb, a mysterious stranger, arrives in town, and Esther begins to question who she can trust. As shady pasts unravel into the present and new romances develop, Caleb and Esther realize that they must team together to fight for their lives and for the freedom of Prin.

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Thoughts:

 

In a Wasteland parallel to THE ROAD, Susan Kim and Laurence Klavan have created a dystopian society with one major conflict--survival.  It's a world where reading is almost extinct, where rain is a killer, and where material items such as a Lexus lie wasting in the street, but there is one major commodity--fresh water. And as in all time periods, greed seems to multiply. Into this chaos comes Esther, out casted because of her refusal to conform when it comes to rules and friends, and Caleb, searching for his kidnapped son and those who murdered his partner. The plot is as dark as the world the authors have created, yet Esther and Caleb find love (although the "I Love You's" occurred a little too quickly for reality). However, those who love apocalyptic nightmares will definitely be hooked on this one!

Dark Days of Winter 2013 Lauren Oliver Interview

Thank you so much for answering some of our questions, Lauren!  We've always admired the beauty of your writing.   All your books read like poetry, and sometimes we are concerned that you have actually almost starved to death, been shot at, and almost died multiple times for your descriptions to be so realistic.  Since this is the Dark Days of Winter tour, and your third and final book in the Delirium series, Requiem is coming out soon, we have some questions we would love answered.

The 3rd a final book in your Delirium trilogy, Requiem, is soon to be released. Can you tell us a little about what we can expect?

Requiem takes place from two points of view: Lena’s and also Hana’s. Lena has thrown in her lot with the resistance, and Hana is living as a cured in Portland and anticipating her wedding to the new mayor. Over the course of the novel, their storylines converge in a pretty explosive way (literally and figuratively). I can also say there will be super sweet bonus material released in the Requiem hardcover edition!

What do you have planned now that you are finished with the Delirium series?  Can you tell us a little about it?

I’ve just completed a realistic YA book called PANIC. It’s about teenagers in a small town in Oregon who get involved in a very deadly game over the summer, and it’s my first YA book that has both a male and female POV, so I’m really excited about it.

Let's just gets this out there, no one does cliffhanger endings like you do! I still haven't recovered from either of the last 2.  Do you usually have your ending in mind before you start or does it come to you as your writing? Basically, are you a plotter or a pantser?
Ha! Thanks! I’m a plotter to a certain degree. I actually usually write the first and last chapters of a book at the very beginning of the process. I like to know where I’m going before I start out, I guess. J And I try to structure the story broadly before I dive into writing, but my outline often gets revised as I go.

I think this goes a little with the last question, but for readers that are new to this series, where did the idea of the Delirium series come from?
Several years ago, I started thinking deeply about the way that fear gets communicated from the media to the people, and how difficult it is to receive unbiased information from the news. At the time there was a lot of talk about the “global pandemic” that might decimate our world: a virulent flu or virus that would spread from country to country, killing everyone. Most of the fears about the materialization of such a disease (swine flu, bird flu) proved unfounded. Then I started thinking about how easy it would be to convince people of the imminent threat of some other kind of disease—and I realized that the symptoms of romantic love had much in common with the kind of psychiatric disorder we currently treat with medication. The ideas just sort of combined in my head.

You have books across genres and grade levels.  What is that transition like, to completely do something different and even change your audience?

It’s scary, but it’s not something I really feel I have control over. Books come to me and grab me and I have towrite them. I don’t feel I have much choice, ultimately, over the material I pursue and which audience I write for. And of course as a writer I’m so interested in challenging myself and getting better, and I think that only comes from attempting different things.

Now we would love to do a little this and that, to learn a little about your personally.

80's hair bands or 90's grunge bands? OMG. 90s!! I’m so a child of the 90s.
Snack pack flavors: pudding or jello? Pudding.

Contemporary or Paranoramal/Fantasy (book wise, what do you prefer reading): Ready for your mind to be blown? Contemporary mixed with fantasy. J

Movies or TV? TV.

Better to have love and lost or better to never love at at all? The former, but only if you get to love again. If you don’t…I’ll choose not knowing what I’m missing!

Alex or Julian (haha, just joking) Yeah, right. I’m not saying a word, sister!

Thanks so much, Lauren!!! BTW- LOVED REQUIEM even though I am now on blood pressure medicine after reading it! jk:)

HAHA THANK YOU!!!

They have tried to squeeze us out, to stamp us into the past.

But we are still here.

And there are more of us every day.

Now an active member of the resistance, Lena has been transformed. The nascent rebellion that was under way in Pandemonium has ignited into an all-out revolution in Requiem, and Lena is at the center of the fight.

After rescuing Julian from a death sentence, Lena and her friends fled to the Wilds. But the Wilds are no longer a safe haven—pockets of rebellion have opened throughout the country, and the government cannot deny the existence of Invalids. Regulators now infiltrate the borderlands to stamp out the rebels, and as Lena navigates the increasingly dangerous terrain, her best friend, Hana, lives a safe, loveless life in Portland as the fiancée of the young mayor.

Maybe we are driven crazy by our feelings.

Maybe love is a disease, and we would be better off without it.

But we have chosen a different road.

And in the end, that is the point of escaping the cure: We are free to choose.

We are even free to choose the wrong thing.

Requiem is told from both Lena’s and Hana’s points of view. The two girls live side by side in a world that divides them until, at last, their stories converge.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Dark Days of Winter 2013 Tour

Leg 2

Blog Tour:

Feb 8      Fragments @ Emily's Reading Room

Feb 12    Requiem @ YA Sisterhood

Feb 14    Spellcaster @ Two Chicks on Books

Feb 19    Mind Games @ IB Book Blogging

Feb 21    Mila 2.0 @ Addicted 2 Novels

Feb 26    Fragments @ Emily's Reading Room

Feb 28    Requiem @ YA Sisterhood

Mar 5     Spellcaster @ Two Chicks on Books

Mar 6     Mila 2.0 @ Addicted 2 Novels

Mar 7     Mind Games @ IB Book Blogging

 

 

Tour Stops:

Mar 6     Provo Library, Provo, UT                                                7PM

Mar 7     University Books, Seattle, WA                                        6:30PM

Mar 8     Barnes & Noble, Clackamas, OR                                    6:30PM

Mar 9     Tualatin Library, Tualatin, OR                                        10AM

Mar 9     Eugene Library, Eugene, OR                                         4PM

 

http://www.pitchdark.com/blog/the-dark-days-are-back/

Eve by Anna Carey

Eve by Anna Carey

Published by HarperTeen

On Shelves Now

Reviewed by:  Middle Sis Jenn

The Sisters Say:  A chilling look at a crumbling world

The year is 2032, sixteen years after a deadly virus—and the vaccine intended to protect against it—wiped out most of the earth’s population. The night before eighteen-year-old Eve’s graduation from her all-girls school she discovers what really happens to new graduates, and the horrifying fate that awaits her.

Fleeing the only home she’s ever known, Eve sets off on a long, treacherous journey, searching for a place she can survive. Along the way she encounters Caleb, a rough, rebellious boy living in the wild. Separated from men her whole life, Eve has been taught to fear them, but Caleb slowly wins her trust...and her heart. He promises to protect her, but when soldiers begin hunting them, Eve must choose between true love and her life.

I will admit, I didn’t even know what this series was about until I received an ARC of the third and final book, Rise.  So, I figured, I have the third book—why not read them all back to back—no waiting, no “oh my gosh, what a cliffhanger” reactions.  I will say, this is the perfect way to read a series!  I loved being able to read them all back to back.  I spent an entire week in Anna’s world, and I will say, I am so glad HarperTeen sent me the third book because, otherwise, I would have totally missed out!

Eve takes place in a ravaged America, after a deadly plague wipes out most of the population.  A King has taken control of the citizens and forced many of the into unspeakable actions in the name of “peace” and “survival” and “hope.”  Many people argue that the problem with Eve is the world-building.  There just isn’t enough, and while I can see their argument, I will say that it didn’t bother me.  I’m much more interested in the action and the characters, so I didn’t need to know more about how the world ended up that way and what not.  I like that the book focused more on the characters themselves—their problems, their losses, and their doubts.

This was definitely a quick read—I read it in one sitting, and went straight on to the next book.  I really like that it was a one sitter, but I wish there would have been more action near the end.  There’s plenty of action throughout the book, but the ending just felt rushed to me.  I wanted to see more passion, more anger, more fear; and I didn’t really get enough of that to really understand the motivations of some of the characters.

Surprisingly, my favorite character was Arden.  She is argumentative and blunt, understanding the harsh realities into which they have been thrust.  She is hardened, and I found myself taking an immediate liking to her, attitude and all.  She wasn’t whiney, and she definitely wasn’t going to bow down to any man—and I really liked that about her.  I felt like she was trustworthy and smart, and I would definitely put my life in her hands if I was Eve.

Eve was up and down for me.  I really liked her character at times because she didn’t just stay in the mold that she was raised in; she dared to question authority and her beliefs, and as a result, she was rewarded with a great relationship.  However, I felt like there were times when she was a bit daft and rash.  She lunged into problems head first without thinking about the consequences, and that is one of my biggest pet peeves in a character.  I know that these rash decisions are what create the action and drama in a book, but I think you can make just as many great scenes without the stupidity.  Especially since Eve was the valedictorian, I would think she would have a bit more common sense, even if she was brainwashed by the teachers into believing false truths.

And of course, I have to mention Caleb—I just love the rough and tough guys.  The only problem I had is that we didn’t see enough or hear enough from him.  I wanted to see more of his talents and more of his background—what made him who he is and why does he care so much about this random girl.  I wanted to see inside his head more, and I didn’t get that.  Maybe a novella will pop out of this world at some point???  I really liked Caleb—he was caring, and strong, and protective.  I just need more of him!

Overall, this was a great read, and I would definitely recommend it to dystopian fans!  I can’t wait to see what’s next for Anna Carey.