Blog Tour: Torn ~a Review

Torn (The Feuds #2) by Avery Hastings
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

In an America split into the genetically superior and inferior, a fiercely ambitious ballerina and a boy from the wrong side of the tracks must stop a deadly virus that is spreading quickly.

Determined to escape from TOR-N, a corrupt Narxis research center, Davis meets another recovered patient, Mercer, whose sweet smile and quirky sense of humor give her hope in humanity again—and a way out. As they make a perilous journey seeking clues that could lead to a cure, Davis and Mercer’s friendship begins to evolve into something more… but she’s still struggling to let go of her feelings for Cole, whom she believes is dead.

Meanwhile, Cole has plans to change his identity in order to compete in the Olympiads—where Imps have now been invited to compete against Priors. He begins training with Mari, the intense and rebellious daughter of a retired fighter, but through trials and tests that are both exhausting and exhilarating, he finds himself in over his head—literally.

Will both Davis and Cole have the strength to resist temptation? Will they have the courage to face the answers they’re seeking? Will their love survive across the divide?

Review (3 stars)

Please note there may be spoilers on book 1 in my review below.  Please go here, if you’re interested in my thoughts on book 1, Feuds. 

Torn is the second and last book in The Feuds duology.  I must say that I’m really liking this ‘duology’ type of ‘series’ as I won’t have to wait yet again for the next part of the series  but the story is just right in length.  Feuds ended in a bit of a cliff-hanger and I was keen on continuing Davis’ and Cole’s journeys; coming from opposite ways of life, they face what is basically a insurmountable challenge to be together and stay together.  By the end of Feuds, they were torn apart.

Thankfully, the story is told from two perspectives, Davis’ and Cole’s, so we see what challenges they had to tackle on their own.  Davis is still her wise old self albeit a very sad one but otherwise still a very together and confident girl.  I really like that she’s not totally consumed with the thought of Cole.  On the other hand, Cole was still just as determined to survive and fight for a better future, for his family and for Davis.

I’ve enjoyed having to explore this world a little more as other parts of the world was introduced,  a load of interesting new characters, and some Hunger Games-esque twist (not quite sure whether I like this last bit; one part of me thinks it’s unnecessary).  It was a little disappointing that we didn’t get to see Davis and Cole together for most of the book but I think the meeting point was so very sweet that it kinda made up for it.  For me, anyway…

Torn was a breeze to read especially since I’ve picked up the jargons from the first book.  The ending, I felt, was too rushed which, therefore, I think, left a couple of continuity issues and/or loose ends. In saying that, I read an uncorrected proof, so maybe it’s fixed in the published copy.

Thanks St Martin’s Press for copy of eARC via NetGalley

About Author

Avery Hastings is an author and former book editor from New York City. Avery grew up in Ohio, graduated in 2006 from the University of Notre Dame and earned her MFA from the New School in 2008. When she’s not reading or writing, Avery can usually be spotted lying around in the park with her affable dog. Like her protagonists, she knows how to throw a powerful right hook and once dreamed of becoming a ballerina. In addition to New York, Avery has recently lived in Mumbai and Paris, but is happy to call Brooklyn home (for now).

Tour Schedule

21-Jul YA Book Madness
22-Jul Bookish Broads
23-Jul Swoony Boys
24-Jul Book Fever
27-Jul Royal Social Media
28-Jul Reading Lark
29-Jul Dream Within a Dream
31-Jul Such a Novel idea
3-Aug Book Syrup
4-Aug Tien’s Blurb
5-Aug Karen Oland
6-Aug The Bumble Girl
7-Aug The Story Sanctuary
9-Aug The Consummate Reader

Review: Captive

Captive by Aimee Carter

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Source: paperback copy courtesy of publisher

Note: this review is in relation to book 2 of The Blackcoat Rebellion and may contain spoilers to book 1, Pawn (my review of Pawn)

I read Pawn not too long ago so this story is still quite fresh in my mind and I was quite excited to see Captive being released. Whilst Pawn did not end in a cliffhanger (like whether someone died or not), there is that suspense of the upcoming ado. I was really looking forward to Captive.

Kitty Doe is not a character I like… much… Whilst I cannot fault her moral standing, her ‘do first, think later’ attitude is really annoying. Hence, I found her even more frustrating in Captive. She resolved one thing but then her impulsiveness decided something else for her and the consequences sometimes surprised her (*eye rolls*).

And just to be more complicated, there are many more new characters this time around… in a different setting. I enjoyed this new setting even though again, it’s a little hard to develop characters well. I’m finding characters to be quite slippery and undependable –this, however, could be due to the crazy plot.

Pawn had lots of twisty turns but Captive’s plot is a whirlwind of unsuspected turns where we were picked up, turned back to front, was set back down only to be swooped up and turned upside down –non-stop. I think, though, part of this is due to Kitty’s frustrating character that sometimes, I really wanted to shake her but… it made a pretty exciting book.

This might be the only annoying fictional character that I’m willing to keep up with because I am really looking forward to book 3! I hope it will be just as jam-packed as the first 2 instalments.

Thanks, Harlequin Books Australia for copy of paperback

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Review: Feuds

Feuds by Avery Hastings

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Source: eARC courtesy of publisher

I… love… ballet… I took ballet as a child and whilst that didn’t last (I really didn’t have the making of a prima ballerina), I still daydream about being a ballerina now and then. I also grew up with a number of ballet mangas which I loved so these days any fiction with ballerina as MC is a must-read. In Feuds, I basically found 2 of my most favourite things (ballerina MC with dystopian setting) in one so nothing was going to stop me from reading this!

I really like Davis who seems to be the only one in her society who is capable of independent thought. Her eyes are opened and she sees what’s around her –enough to question it. Despite her prejudice and ignorance, she is kind and is learning all the time that there is more to the world than what she’s been told by the authorities. Cole… *sighs*… one of those bad boys with a good heart –know what I mean?

It took some time for me to cotton on to this new world and all the terms applied to it. The reason this new world was divided is interesting but ‘tis most curious as to why the wall of this division is collapsing. This was quite an enjoyable read for me though after the read, I find that the blurb basically tells you all of the main part of the story… so there isn’t much that I can add except that I really couldn’t stop reading as it was pretty easygoing and did I mention my 2 fave things? yea, okay, so I’m a little bias with my rating for this book but I can’t help it

Thanks St Martin’s Press for copy of eARC via NetGalley

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Review: Pawn

Pawn by Aimee Carter

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Source: Paperback copy courtesy of publisher

Pawn had a very promising action-packed beginning. Kitty Doe has just been assessed as a III which means that she no longer has a promising future and she’s looking to end it by causing trouble. Trouble (with the capital ‘T’), however, came seeking her instead. She accepted what she thought was her only option of a ‘real’ life but the consequences were beyond her imagining.

It was quite frustrating that Kitty is not a fighter (like Katniss or Tris) though she has some street cred and it helped the action, at times. There was also another ability that she’s missing (which most of us take for granted) which debilitated her somewhat. This really limited Kitty and made her really dependable on others –it was a bit exasperating though I wonder if this limitation will mean something else in the next installment (that’s what I’m hoping because otherwise, this is just a really annoying trait).

There were quite a lot of characters so it was a little hard to develop in such a short time but they seem to be a lot of fun. The world also was a little underdeveloped. And despite the action at the start of the book, Pawn was actually quite slow but packed with intrigue with lots of twisty turns. I felt that Pawn has barely scratched the surface though I’m really looking forward to book 2, Captive. As I was having a very grumpy and moody day, all these suited me just fine as I didn’t need to think too hard and I actually quite enjoyed it.

Thank you, Harlequin Books Australia, for copy of paperback

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Review: Drowned

Drowned by Nichola Reilly

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Source: eARC courtesy of publisher

A curious cover and an even more curious title; Drowned is a mysterious read from the very beginning. Even at the finish of the read, I felt like I have ten thousand more questions than at the start. I only just found out, after the read, that this is the first book of a series so I have definitely been enticed enough to look this up next year.

Despite all the mystery, this was a very slow read. Understandably, there was a lot of setting up to be done; the world, the characters, the social structure, etc. The information was doled out at a measured pace as the plot develops. It wasn’t boring as it was strange enough that kept me reading though at a similarly slow pace… definitely not a book that kept me awake at night.

The point which most fascinated me was Coe as the female protagonist. Described as ‘deformed and weak’, she’s an outcast of this doomed society. She’s not one of those capable kick-ass characters that you’d cheer along for but rather one who is aware of her shortcomings and seek only to stay alive even if that means submitting to some questionable circumstances. On the opposite spectrum, was Star, ‘the princess’, whom I found absolutely frustratingly shallow though this impression feels somewhat false… I don’t have an answer for this yet; hopefully book 2 will provide some answers

This is not a book I’d rave about even noting certain points of interests. If you’d like to read something somewhat different then I’d recommend picking this up. You will, however, require some patience. It’s a fairly quiet book dotted with some tense & some sweet moments.

Thank you, Harlequin Teen Australia for copy of eARC via NetGalley

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Review: Allegiant

Allegiant by Veronica Roth
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Source: purchased own paperback copy

First I must note that I wasn’t one of those who raved about Divergent when it was released few years ago. I didn’t hate it but I didn’t love it either. It was a pretty average read for me… a quick & easy read that didn’t really encourage me to pick up the second book. It took some time for me to get to Insurgent though the ending of that book made me really excited for the next installment.

Allegiant is another quick & easy read –easy to put down and pick up wherever you left off too. Being the type of reader I am though, I finished it in no time at all even when I didn’t skim (I think this is an easy book to just skim through if you’re curious about the ending but don’t want to read all of the book). I am settling for another average rating for this book because…

1. There seems to be some sort of formula with this trilogies:

Displacement ✓

Dishonest Leaders ✓ (um, what does this say about our own political leaders?

Rebellion ✓

Tris wanting to do something different or more than the rebels ✓

Etc…

2. I actually didn’t mind the ending which I think where most fans will / had complained about. Although I did find that particular incident to be just too anticlimactic. It didn’t provoke any sort of reaction whatsoever –I just shrugged my shoulders and went on with the read…

3. I might have read this part (between the lines) incorrectly but I thought there was some sort of ‘hint’ as to what the password is to get into that room but it wasn’t even thought of, afterwards?

In summary, I’m not totally keen on Allegiant but… I did manage to read the whole book without any attempts to chuck it at the wall so I figure this would rate as pretty average for me.

I re-read Divergent with a little more excitement (um, hello, Theo James!!, Can you blame me?!) just prior to the release of the movie but it was still not one I loved completely. And when I finally picked up Allegiant, it was because I needed a break in between some serious adult historical fiction novels I’ve been reading. It’s done its trick and now, I just want to see more of Theo James…

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Review: The Immortal Crown

The Immortal Crown by Richelle Mead

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Source: eARC via NetGalley courtesy of Penguin Books Australia

Please note there may be spoilers of book 1 as this is a review of book 2 in the Age of X series.  If you’ve not read book 1 yet, check my review of Gameboard of the Gods, here.

I loved loved loved Gameboard of the Gods and was super excited to see The Immortal Crown coming out. I’ve to admit of not being a big fan of the cover, though… it’s beautiful and all but… it doesn’t match my cover of book 1 so am so very sad about that. On the other hand, am keen to be back in the RUNA for a few days.

I’m a big fan of Mae Koskinen because she kicks ass big-time and yet so very vulnerable emotionally at the same time. She’s amazingly good at what she does, loves deeply, protective, and resourceful. I love the tension between her and Justin and their chemistry which made all their interactions just, oh, so delicious! That’s really what drawn me to this couple –the tension of wanting something you couldn’t have.

The pace of this book is definitely faster than the first book –that’s probably mostly due to the fact that quite a few pieces of the world building was done previously. I find, however, that I really only care about the Justin’s & Mae’s POVs and every time the story switched to Tessa, I was just really impatient. Tessa’s perspectives provided a more complex storyline which we will probably see being better developed in later books but in this book, they slows down the action quite a bit.

I don’t like Arcadia at all! It might be a great setting for a covert sort of mission but it was really an unpleasant place to be, even vicariously. I understand the tale being woven required an awful place to heightened tension and makes the mission all the more dangerous and exciting. It is no different than all those epic fantasy tales where we sometimes long to live despite the danger. The difference is though, you will not want to be in Arcadia. I think I may just insert a disclaimer here in reference to my extra sensitive state with pregnancy…I’m not usually so delicate

The ending has left me um-ing and ah-ing as I’m in 2 minds about it… Most specifically the character being introduced which firstly made me go, ‘ta da da dum’ and then, a little disappointed that a well-known character being inserted here. By well-known, I don’t just mean easily recognisable but is popular in today’s culture due to some current works. However, I’m suspending full judgement until I see where Richelle Mead is taking us to next. There were a couple of other twists which served my craving for next book a lot better. Bring on 2015 & book 3!

My sincere thanks to Penguin Books Australia for copy of eARC via NetGalley

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Teaser Tuesdays: Pawn

 

Whether she’d tried or not, I didn’t see how she could sit across a table from the people who had murdered her daughter and act like nothing had happened.  I had a hard enough time looking Daxton in the eye, knowing he’d had Tabs killed.

~page 111

Pawn (The Blackcoat Rebellion #1) by Aimee Carter

For Kitty Doe, it seems like an easy choice. She can either spend her life as a III in misery, looked down upon by the higher ranks and forced to leave the people she loves, or she can become a VII and join the most powerful family in the country.

If she says yes, Kitty will be Masked—surgically transformed into Lila Hart, the Prime Minister’s niece, who died under mysterious circumstances. As a member of the Hart family, she will be famous. She will be adored. And for the first time, she will matter.

There’s only one catch. She must also stop the rebellion that Lila secretly fostered, the same one that got her killed …and one Kitty believes in. Faced with threats, conspiracies and a life that’s not her own, she must decide which path to choose—and learn how to become more than a pawn in a twisted game she’s only beginning to understand.

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read • Open to a random page • Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page • BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!) • Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Cover Reveal: Waterproof

Purchase on Amazon on sale for 99¢

Purchase on B&N

Dying of thirst is the new reality.

Five years after the last drop of clean water disappeared, global societies collapsed and nuclear war shattered all hope of recovery. In a place now only a skeleton of its former self, survivors fight to avoid capture by the government. Forced to work in factories that produce the only drinking water available, those who go in, never come out.

Zach and Vivienne have lived as deserters since they were teenagers. Fighting amongst their own and scrounging for the necessities of life, they’ve learned to rely on each other in every way. Yet when tragedy strikes and the true objectives of the government facility are revealed, their world is ripped apart. A fate once thought to hold their demise may be the sole answer to their survival. Who can they trust? Who can they believe?

In this life, it pays to be waterproof.

Disclaimer: Waterproof is a new adult dystopian with sex, violence, and language that may not be suitable for a younger audience.

Teaser

Vivienne yelled out and I whipped my head around to see what happened. The last man standing held an impressive hunting knife in his hand, while Vivienne had a fresh cut on her arm. Still, she held steady, sword gripped tightly in front of her, legs in a fighting stance.

Something stirred inside of me at the sight. Time slowed when I watched her wield the sword like an ancient warrior. It was hard to imagine that just a few years ago we were in high school worrying about football games and which party to go to on the weekend. Now we stayed in abandoned houses, scrounged for water, and spent most of our lives running. If things had been different, Vivienne and I would be graduating college this year. I had plans to go into medicine, and she wanted to be a vet. Funny how those dreams seemed so far away now.

A loud thump echoed through the now darkened night. She almost fell to the ground with the amount of momentum needed to decapitate the man. He dropped to his knees like a sinner begging for mercy, head rolling further down the hill. My stomach fluttered with admiration and annoyance.

“I didn’t need your help,” I said to her, getting up on my feet and trying not to wince at my injuries.

“Sure,” she huffed. Ripping her bandana off her face she tore it in two. “Here, wrap that up.” She nodded toward the tear in my sleeve and I stubbornly yanked the cloth out of her hand.

“I had everything under control,” I said between clenched teeth. It was the only way to mask the pain. “How did you know where to find me?”

“I followed the girly shrieks,” she said without missing a beat. I looked down at her in time to see a smirk pull at the corner of her mouth. “Let me do it.”

Once again, I allowed Vivienne to rescue me. It killed every part of that male ego inside, but I knew she’d let me do the same for her. In fact, I had. We always saved each other.

“Ow,” I said when she tightened the bandana a little too rough around my arm.

“Stop being a baby.”

“Stop showing off your man strength.”

She pulled even tighter but let a small laugh escape. I sucked in a breath at that sound, realizing how close I’d come to never hearing it again.

“Are you hurt anywhere else?” she asked, turning me around and patting her hands along my body. I froze, trying to ignore how comforting her touch felt. We’d been friends for years, and she was the only person in this world I trusted. Why had I risked so much for this run?

I stepped away from her, not liking where my thoughts were headed. “I’m fine,” I mumbled. “Stop mothering me.”

“I wouldn’t have to if you’d listen to me.” She stopped in front of my face and stared me down. I stood a little over six feet tall and she was just a few inches shorter. Together with that glare, almost any man would cower under her. “Was it worth it?”

“Huh?”

“The water. How much did you get?”

I hung my head in embarrassment. “I had eight, but they shot through one. So six, I guess.”

“Six bottles?” She looked impressed.

“No, six liters.” Silence.

“You just made me kill three men for six liters of water?”

I shuffled my feet. “You only killed two.”

She reached out so quickly, I couldn’t defend myself. Both hands pushed against my chest and I stumbled back, falling to the ground.

“I could make it three,” she hissed. “I should kill you for your stupidity alone.”

About Amber Garr

Amber Garr spends her days as a scientist and nights writing about other worlds. Born in Pennsylvania, she lives in Maryland with her husband and their furry kids. Her childhood imaginary friend was a witch, Halloween is sacred, and she is certain that she has a supernatural sense of smell. Amber is a multiple Royal Palm Literary Award winner, author of Waterproof, The Syrenka Series, The Leila Marx Novels, and the upcoming Death Warden Series. When not obsessing over the unknown, she can be found dancing, reading, or enjoying a good movie.

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Review: All Our Yesterdays

All Our Yesterdays by Cristin Terrill
My rating: 5 of 5 star

Source: eARC courtesy of Bloomsbury Publishing via Netgalley

It’s easy to see why this book appeals to me… time travel! Yup, there’s no keeping me away 🙂 On the other hand, I really didn’t look into this book too much and so didn’t really have any sort of expectation other than being a quick entertainment seeing that it was a YA book. However, I was pleasantly surprised by just how much I loved this book.

Despite the miserable situation in the beginning, Em and, especially, Finn, easily found their way into my heart. Their conversations were what kept each other going in their isolation and Finn always find a way to lift Em’s heart and courage. It was a bit of a mystery why they are there and so was Em’s fixation on drains. I found the drain obsession to be a bit funny actually as my toddler was scared of the bathtub’s drain for quite a while thinking that he’d be sucked in there too; what Em found though gave her and Finn a purpose, a mission. Neither Em nor Finn are Bond materials but they know what the future holds and this is what drives them regardless of their conflicted hearts.

The story is told from 2 perspectives, not really of opposite sides but this gives us, as readers, an “in” and therefore, a full rounded view, to what’s happening inside and out. This brilliant storytelling combined with an unstoppable plot made an un-put-down-able book! All Our Yesterdays not only contained time-travel, it also contained suspense, action, mystery, romance –all components I loved in a novel. Whilst the book could be a stand-alone (I was quite happy with the ending), I really do want to hang out with these characters again so I’m really glad to find that there’d be a sequel 🙂

Thank you, Bloomsbury Publishing via Netgalley, for the privilege of reading & reviewing galley.

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