ARC Review: The Body Institute-Carol Riggs

Goodreads/Amazon/B&N/iBooksMeet Morgan Dey, one of the top teen Reducers at The Body Institute.

Thanks to cutting-edge technology, Morgan can temporarily take over another girl’s body, get her in shape, and then return to her own body—leaving her client slimmer, more toned, and feeling great. Only there are a few catches…

For one, Morgan won’t remember what happens in her “Loaner” body. Once she’s done, she won’t recall walks with her new friend Matt, conversations with the super-cute Reducer she’s been text-flirting with, or the uneasy feeling she has that the director of The Body Institute is hiding something. Still, it’s all worth it in the name of science. Until the glitches start…

Suddenly, residual memories from her Loaner are cropping up in Morgan’s mind. She’s feeling less like herself and more like someone else. And when protests from an anti–Body Institute organization threaten her safety, she’ll have to decide if being a Reducer is worth the cost of her body and soul…

3.5/5 Stars

***I received this eARC as a gift in exchange for an honest review via NetGalley & Entangled: Teen

READ THIS BOOK IF:

• You’re into a health-conscious sci-fi world full of advocacy and violent protests
• You like mysteries, murder, and suspense

PROS:

• There’s some serious bullying. One of the chief questions of this story is whether we are defined by our bodies or our souls, if the inside is influenced so strongly by our outside appearance that when that appearance is lost, our soul starts to wither away. The story centers around people who need to lose weight or be faced with taxes so high, they’ll likely end up in poverty. Overweight people are treated as second-class citizens. It’s repulsive, heart-breaking, and completely degrading how often the overweight people get harassed. It was hard to read. The torment and ridicule, the things the bullies say are so mean it’s a wonder how the characters aren’t severely depressed. Carol Riggs does an amazing job getting at the heart of the insecurity, the sense of aloneness and feeling of being insignificant to their peers. Even though Morgan is a fit girl, experiencing the harassment Jodine got on a fairly regular basis made her open her eyes to the cruelty and injustice around her. 
• The concept is really intriguing, having fit people (Reducers) body swap with overweight one to help them meet weight goals and fight rising taxes seems not that far off. The activism and rights issues, the protests, the violence, and the lies all build the tension up so you’re never quite certain what’s true and fake or if the Body Institute is all its cracked up to be. 
• Intense, shocking scenes that you’ll never see coming. Some parts were unexpected, violent, and bleak, making you doubt any chance of a happy ending. 
• Morgan is a kind-hearted, genuine girl who wants nothing more than to help people be healthy and find happiness. She takes risks to make sure that others can find a better life post-weight loss. When things get sketchy, more so than the massive amount of money she’s making, Morgan fights for her position for the body she’s occupying. Morgan knows she can make a difference and its her giving, wholesome heart that makes her likable. Sometimes Morgan will definitely surprise you.

CONS:

• The ending was fast and easily resolved for being such a complex and highly illegal situation. After the initial fleeing for dear life and hiding, things simmer down relatively quickly, taking away from the danger and paranoia. 
• Romance was minimal and kind of bland. The chemistry was low, their interactions were predominantly focused on exercise so that they don’t have moments where they get to know each other in a way where you feel a connection-it just sort of is. That key moment where things get fluttery and sweet was mixed in with hot and cold and then, boyfriend and girlfriend time? It was a leap for me. 
• Secondary characters were barely in the plot and their interactions were too short to truly get a solid read on them or their relationship to Morgan besides what’s on the surface. 

If you like any of the following, you’ll enjoy this: 

 

 

Trailer Reveal & Giveaway: The Six-Mark Alpert

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Release Date: July 7, 2015

Avatar meets The Terminator in this thrilling cyber-tech adventure…

Adam’s muscular dystrophy has taken his motility, his friends, and in a few short years, it will take his life. He takes solace in playing video games he’s programmed to reflect the life that he used to have. Virtual reality is the one realm where he can be the hero, and it’s where he chooses to spend his time, until an entity called Sigma tries to kill him.

A dangerously advanced artificial intelligence program created by Adam’s computer-genius father, Sigma has escaped its cyber prison and is threatening global destruction and domination. But Adam’s father has a plan. He will stop Sigma by using the technology he developed to digitally preserve the mind of his dying son.

Adam’s consciousness is uploaded into the body of a weaponized robot, along with a group of five other gifted teens who are terminally ill. Together, they must learn how to manipulate their new mechanical forms and prepare for combat before Sigma destroys humanity. Adam can finally play the hero for real, but will his new body be worth the sacrifice of his human existence?

This innovative and thought-provoking young adult debut, from the critically acclaimed author of adult thrillers Final Theory and The Omega Theory, questions what it means to be human and whether we are destined to be defined by our physical bodies or our intellect.

Shannon rears back in her seat as if she’s been slapped. “And where are you going to store the copies of our brains?” Her voice is furious. “In a supercomputer? A big electronic prison?”

Dad doesn’t take offense. He answers her calmly. “The scanning process converts human intelligence to a digital form, allowing it to run on any neuromorphic computer that has enough memory and processing power. But in the initial stage right after the transfer, we believe it’s important to connect the intelligence to a machine that can move around and sense the outside world. A human intelligence is accustomed to controlling a body, so if we want to preserve its sanity, we’d better give it something to control. Here, let me show you.”

He puts the vial of nanoprobes back in his pocket and pulls out something else, a small remote–control device. He points it at the doorway beside the stage, and a moment later I hear a loud clanking. The noise startles the soldiers standing by the doorway. They step backward, flattening themselves against the wall. Then a seven–foot–tall robot emerges from the doorway and brushes past them.

The robot strides across the stage. It has two arms and two legs, but otherwise it isn’t very humanlike. It has no head or neck. Its torso is shaped like a giant bullet, with the rounded end on top. Its legs angle downward from the base of its torso and rest on oval steel–plate footpads that clang against the floor.

The machine marches briskly past the podium and stops in front of my dad, who presses a button on his remote control. This command extends the robot’s arms, which telescope to a full length of six feet. They look like multi–jointed tentacles. The machine’s hands, though, resemble human hands, with dexterous mechanical fingers and thumbs.

Dad presses another button, and the robot’s rounded top starts to turn like a turret. “The cameras and acoustic sensors are up here,” Dad says, pointing at the top end. “But the neuromorphic electronics are deep inside the torso, encased in armor plating. These robots were originally designed for the war in Afghanistan, so they’re pretty sturdy.” He raps his knuckles against the torso. “All in all, it’s an excellent platform for a newly transferred intelligence, but really it’s just the beginning. The whole point of the Pioneer Project is to bridge the gap between man and machine, and that means the human intelligences must explore their new environment. The Pioneers will have to learn how to use their new capabilities, and that includes transferring their intelligences from one machine to another.”

His voice grows louder again, full of enthusiasm. “Once the Pioneers have mastered these tasks, our hope is that they’ll be able to establish a connection with Sigma. If all goes well, they’ll start communicating with the AI before it launches any of the Russian missiles. And then the toughest challenge will begin. At the same time that the humans are learning how to be machines, they’ll have to teach Sigma how to be human.”

Rafflecopter Giveaway Link for Sourcebooks Fire Sci-Fi Book Pack including a copy of The Six by Mark Alpert (Runs June 11-June 23rd) US and Canada only

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Mark Alpert is a former editor at Scientific American, and the author of several adult thrillers. He’s been praised by Douglas Preston as the “heir to Michael Crichton.” Visit Mark online at markalpert.com.

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Review: Puppet-Pauline C. Harris

Goodreads/Amazon

Penelope lives in a world of advanced technology but many claim society has yet to catch up. Marionettes have advanced in the form of robots; lifelike creations remote controlled to perform super human tasks.

When Penelope makes a deal with Jed, a marionette-obsessed scientist, she doesn’t fully realize what she’s getting herself into. In order for Jed to take her away from the orphanage she lives in, she must first agree to undergo his experiments and tests, ultimately creating something no one ever dreamed possible; the first living marionette.

As Jed shows off his scientific creation to the world, concerns arise surrounding Penelope’s abilities and what she’s capable of doing. Ordered to somehow lessen her abilities, Jed makes a desperate attempt to change Penelope to make her more human, more vulnerable. After Penelope lies to the officials about her past, Jed makes sure it’s the last one she’ll ever utter. The truth is now the only thing she is capable of telling.

As Penelope struggles with her past, her disturbingly new present, and her uncertain future, she is thrust into a magically twisted world of mayhem in search of the one thing she wants, but knows she can never have. The chance to be just a girl again. To be normal. To be real.

2/5 Stars

***I received this book as a gift in exchange for an honest review via NetGalley & Patchwork Press

PROS:

• The cover is beautiful. It’s whimsical and stunning. The sense of brokeness and lack of agency is emphasized and the fact that half of Penelope’s face is hidden suggests a vulnerability and youth that resonates throughout the book.
• Penelope and James are adorable together. They’re awkward and shy but their emotions are honest. The come together in a random burst of confession and ease into a calm, fulfilling infatuation. Romance was not the driving force behind the story and I think that that allowed for Penelope to grow.
• Penelope’s struggle to cope with her past and the changes made to her body without her consent was written with passion and astounding emotion. At heart, Penelope is a good person, gentle and kind, and when she loses her ability to make decisions, it threatens her understanding of herself. It poses the question of guilt and whether or not horrible acts when forced to do them against our will change us and whether it’s possible to get past that.

CONS:

• Puppet is extremely slow to start and doesn’t really pick up. 
• Penelope is almost too introspective. There’s a consistent montage of her feelings and lack of control. Sometimes, it’s poetic and powerful. The helplessness and bleak reality of her position is brutal and others it’s too much of nothing going on but internal monologue. 
• The role of the government and why she’s such a huge threat wasn’t explained and felt disconnected. The pieces were there but the glue that held them together was missing.
• The carnival scene was random and Penelope’s reasoning was absent. Why Penelope made the choices she did in terms of action scenes wasn’t discussed and kind of contradicted Penelope’s consistent internal thought process and evaluation of her situation.
• Descriptions of this book label it as a retelling of Pinocchio. That’s a bit of a stretch. If anything, it’s a role reversal. Human girl becomes marionette only to learn the value of her humanity.

If you like any of the following, you’ll enjoy this:

Pleasant reading,

Blog Tour: Mirror X-Karri Thompson

Mirror X by Karri Thompson

BLOG TOUR

November 17 – 21, 2014

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Cassie Dannacher wakes up in a hospital over 1,000 years into the future after her space capsule is retrieved from space. She soon learns that 600 years prior to her arrival, the earth was struck by a plague, killing over half of the world’s population. Naïve and desperate, Cassie, who longs for home and is having trouble adjusting to the new, dictatorial 31st century government, is comforted by Michael Bennett, the 20-year old lead geneticist at the hospital where she was revived.

But why is Cassie in genetics’ hospital in the first place, and why do several of the people around her seem so familiar, including Travel Carson, the hot and edgy boy she is fated to meet? Soon she discovers there is a sinister answer to all of her questions – and that they want something from Cassie that only she can give.

Mirror X is quite possibly one of the most disturbing and weird books I’ve ever read and that’s saying something. It’s creepy in the most vile and intrusive ways, getting under your skin and working its way through your system in the form of shock and disquieting foreboding. If you’re looking for the kind of chilling, goosebumps inducing, hair on end read without breaking into the horror genre, this is definitely for you.

For the full, original review post –> ARC Review-Mirror X

Michael took a seat on the edge of my bed, rocking me toward him. When the side of my thigh met his knee, my heart rate doubled, and I drew in a deep breath.

“Before you were awakened I spent hours at your bedside imaging what you were like, how your voice would sound, how you looked when you smiled. When your red lips pulsed, when your chest heaved, and you took your first breath, I kept my emotions in check. But now, now that you’ve ‘awakened,’ everything is different. I can’t sleep. I can’t stop thinking about you.”

I ignored the pain and tilted closer until the space between our faces was less than a foot. My heart, my mind, my soul—everything yearned for his affection at that moment.

“I feel the same way, too.”

     I closed my eyes, wanting this handsome, earnest guy to take me into his arms and tell me he’d make them let me go. My lungs expanded with his warm breath and spicy scent. When his lips met mine, every atom in my body danced, urging me to pull him closer and tighten my grip upon his back.

His kissing became more fiery and I reacted by kissing him harder. It wasn’t until his mouth moved to my neck, that I came to my senses and drew away.

   “Not yet,” I said, scooting away.

“I know,” he said between breaths, rising from the bed. His wiped his forehead with the sleeve of his uniform and returned to the chair. “I can’t…we can’t. We can never…,” he said abruptly. “It’s against protocol. I-I should go.”

Growing up in San Diego, California, Karri Thompson spent much of her years at the beach, reading novels, tanning, and listening to music. At SDSU, she earned a BA in English, MA in education, and her teaching credential. As a wife, mother, and high-school English teacher, she began writing novels, giving all of the compelling plots and unique characters in her head a home. Victorian literature rocks her socks, and when she’s not writing, jogging, going to concerts, or watching her son play football, she’s reading Dickens.

Find her at: http://www.karrithompson.com/

Keep reading, 

Promo: Freak of Nature (IFICS series) by Julia Crane

Freak of Nature

Book 1 – IFICS series

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Donate Body to Science. Check.
When seventeen-year-old Kaitlyn checked the box, she never suspected she’d have her life–and her body–stolen from her. She awakens one day in a secret laboratory to discover that her body is now half-robot and is forced to hide her own secret: that she still has human emotions and a human mind. If the scientists who made her find out, they’ll erase what remains of who she was.

Kaitlyn finds an unlikely ally in Lucas, a handsome, brilliant scientist who can’t get over the guilt he feels knowing she was once a vibrant, beautiful young woman. He never expected a science project to affect him the way she does. As he tries to help her rediscover her past, he finds himself falling for the brave girl struggling to find her place and acceptance between the human and computer worlds.

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Julia crane is the author of the Keegan’s Chronicles, IFICS. She has a bachelors degree in criminal justice. Julia has believed in magical creatures since the day her grandmother first told her an Irish tale. Growing up her mother greatly encouraged reading and using your imagination.

Happy reading,

Cover Reveal: Fatal Abduction-Julia Crane

Fatal Abduction by Julia Crane

Book 3 – IFICS Series

New Adult Sci-fi

There’s a serial killer at large. His victims just happen to resemble Kaitlyn—dark haired, pale skin and athletic build. Kaitlyn goes undercover, attending a prestigious high school to try to lure the killer into a trap and save the lives of other potential victims. Will she be able to catch the killer before his body count rises? Or will she become the next victim?

Donate Body to Science. Check.
When seventeen-year-old Kaitlyn checked the box, she never suspected she’d have her life–and her body–stolen from her. She awakens one day in a secret laboratory to discover that her body is now half-robot and is forced to hide her own secret: that she still has human emotions and a human mind. If the scientists who made her find out, they’ll erase what remains of who she was.

Kaitlyn finds an unlikely ally in Lucas, a handsome, brilliant scientist who can’t get over the guilt he feels knowing she was once a vibrant, beautiful young woman. He never expected a science project to affect him the way she does. As he tries to help her rediscover her past, he finds himself falling for the brave girl struggling to find her place and acceptance between the human and computer worlds.

Goodreads/Amazon/Barnes & Noble

*Warning 17+ due to sexual gritty topic and language.
Kaitlyn and Erik are sent on a mission to track down Vance Dasvoik, a ruthless monster. His latest thrill—abducting and selling young women.

Vance’s current victim: Aaliyah, a seventeen-year-old who never imagined walking her brother home from school one evening would change her life forever.

The mission quickly turns personal for Kaitlyn when she finds Aaliyah beaten, her mind and soul fractured from abuse of the worst kind. Kaitlyn knows firsthand what it’s like to be haunted by the past and resolves to bring justice to the elusive Dasvoik.

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Julia Crane is the author of the Keegan’s Chronicles, IFICS and many more. She has a bachelors degree in criminal justice. Julia has believed in magical creatures since the day her grandmother first told her an Irish tale. Growing up her mother greatly encouraged reading and using your imagination.

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Happy reading,

Teaser: Freak of Nature-Julia Crane

Freak of Nature

Book 1 – IFICS series

Donate Body to Science. Check.

When seventeen-year-old Kaitlyn checked the box, she never suspected she’d have her life–and her body–stolen from her. She awakens one day in a secret laboratory to discover that her body is now half-robot and is forced to hide her own secret: that she still has human emotions and a human mind. If the scientists who made her find out, they’ll erase what remains of who she was.

Kaitlyn finds an unlikely ally in Lucas, a handsome, brilliant scientist who can’t get over the guilt he feels knowing she was once a vibrant, beautiful young woman. He never expected a science project to affect him the way she does. As he tries to help her rediscover her past, he finds himself falling for the brave girl struggling to find her place and acceptance between the human and computer worlds.

Add to Goodreads/Amazon/Barnes & Noble

Julia crane is the author of the Keegan’s Chronicles, IFICS. She has a bachelors degree in criminal justice. Julia has believed in magical creatures since the day her grandmother first told her an Irish tale. Growing up her mother greatly encouraged reading and using your imagination.

Website / Facebook / Twitter

Sounds amazing right? Definitely picking this one up.

Happy reading, 

ARC Review: Mirror X-Karri Thompson

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3/5 Stars

***I received this book in exchange for an honest review via NetGalley and Entangled Teen.

“…and once again President William Gifford had me under his jurisdiction, he couldn’t resist plucking an apple from the tree of knowledge and taking a bite. Travel and I were their Adam and Eve, but this was no Eden. There was no place like home, and clicking my heels together wouldn’t help.”

***

“Flooded with nausea, I imagined the babies in various stages of growth catching fire as they hit the flames, babies who never had a chance, fetuses who didn’t choose to be born under odds that were against their fate.”

Cassie Dannacher wakes up in a hospital over 1,000 years into the future after her space capsule is retrieved from space. She soon learns that 600 years prior to her arrival, the earth was struck by a plague, killing over half of the world’s population. Naïve and desperate, Cassie, who longs for home and is having trouble adjusting to the new, dictatorial 31st century government, is comforted by Michael Bennett, the 20-year old lead geneticist at the hospital where she was revived.

But why is Cassie in genetics’ hospital in the first place, and why do several of the people around her seem so familiar, including Travel Carson, the hot and edgy boy she is fated to meet? Soon she discovers there is a sinister answer to all of her questions – and that they want something from Cassie that only she can give.

-via Goodreads

Mirror X is quite possibly one of the most disturbing and weird books I’ve ever read and that’s saying something. It’s creepy in the most vile and intrusive ways, getting under your skin and working its way through your system in the form of shock and disquieting foreboding. If you’re looking for the kind of chilling, goosebumps inducing, hair on end read without breaking into the horror genre, this is definitely for you.

PROS:

• Mirror X is an unconventional, horrifying dystopian that in many ways has veins of other popular YA books but takes them to a new level, one darker and decidedly more twisted. Several of the plot points are ingenious and just so despicable and wicked that it’s hard to imagine that much evil and lack of regard for personal space. The way they harvest DNA, the experimentations, the treatment of the fetuses is all just so grossly and grotesquely described that it will leave you reeling and haunted. The scenes in the uterus chambers are extremely disturbing and nightmarish, the treatment of death and disregard for human life is harrowing and jolting. You will not be able to unsee these images. The descriptions were really intense and graphic. 
• It’s impossible not to feel bad for Cassie. The way she’s viewed by society, their inability to understand how violated she feels and what they’ve done to her without consent is the most hellish, horrific thing I can imagine. As a woman, as a human being, Cassie’s trauma with shake and twist your stomach. My heart broke for her, to be so worshiped in some aspects and neglected is just hard to handle and understand. While sacrifices for humanity are never easy, this is just beyond anything I’ve seen. And in a comatose state no less-abominable. 
• The technology and the 31st century is crazy detailed. The life forms, the various shades of robot and devices, the computers and the advances in cloning are see-inspiring. So much has happened and the transition from Cassie’s world in the 2200s to this world is a kick to the system that completely startling and everything in this world is a surprise. 
• The genetics lab members are creepy. They’re like indoctrinated little puppets with their odd phrases and egg jewelry. The fertility symbols and the leers that Cassie gets from some of the doctors is gross and will leave you feeling dirty.
• How Cassie holds up and pushes through her circumstances is so admirable. As the truth comes out and what’s been done to her is revealed, she has moments of gut-wrenching clarity and an awareness of her body that puts biological function at the forefront of every thought. Cassie has lost so much and it’s ironic because in being saved it produced the death of her free will. She’s robbed of choices and placed into a lifestyle that she would never have chosen. Death seems like the better alternative, it’s just so sickeningly bad. Cassie is a fighter, she plots and plans to make an escape despite the consequences and the pretty impossible situation, she never gives up. Cassie is an incredible person, despite everything she still sympathizes with the plight of the 31st century and is willing to give herself up to it but on her own terms. That she is able to overcome the hurt and pain of what the society has done to her is amazingly strong and shows how powerful her compassion is, I don’t know many who would do the same in her situation.
• Love the cover. The colors just pop and while it’s not what I would have imagined for the story, it’s really pretty.
• The story itself is very bleak and it should be. There’s nothing happy or hopeful, the overall tone was well done and consistent.

CONS:

• It’s difficult to make a connection with most of the characters, not because they’re brainwashed or so wrapped up in their goal for a productive future but because there’s just not enough of them. Most of the plot is focused on extremes from Cassie’s perspective, there are clear villains and love interests but this is skewed too. Cassie, on one hand is so paranoid and expects sinister intentions from everyone yet is so trusting of others. The entire book, I was just waiting for betrayal.
• There’s a substantial amount of foreshadowing or in the very least hints that you can fairly often predict what’s coming and because of this, it’s kind of disappointing that Cassie isn’t more ahead of the government’s game.
• Instalove. Upon meeting there’s an undeniable attraction between Cassie and Michael and a few pages later it’s full-blown love. There wasn’t any build up, at least from Cassie’s side. While Michael has had a long time for his enamored feelings to form, from Cassie it feels random and unfounded.
• Travel is like a dreamy, fluctuating free spirit without opinions of his own. First, he’s all for the government’s game plan and into making the best out of the situation because that’s what he’s been told to do, then he starts listening to Cassie and he’s 100% with her wishes. Travel’s personality wasn’t developed enough for attachment and his relationship with Cassie is just too easy, it falls into place and it’s hard to gauge whether Cassie feels anything for him and vice versa.

If you like any of the following, you’ll enjoy this:

Pleasant reading.

Review: Mila 2.0-Debra Driza

3/5 Stars

Mila 2.0 (MILA 2.0, #1)-Debra Driza

I sprawled on my bed in a spent heap, realizing the tale I’d manufactured earlier was probably delusional. Somehow I’d come up with the notion that Hunter could set me free. Like some twisted version of Sleeping Beauty. But instead of saving me from an evil spell, his kiss would save me from the iPod. 

I’d convinced myself, in that tiny space of time, that Hunter’s kiss would make me human. 

Plot: You never realize how important your humanity is until someone tries to take it away…even if you’re not quite human. After the traumatizing death of her father, Mila is broken, sad, and flooded with memories that leave her distant, and removed from the trivial high school world. Mila feels like her mother doesn’t love her anymore and is consumed by guilt over her father’s death because she has no memory of the event, even though she was there. Mila and her mother move to a small town and they both get a chance to start over. Mila is exotic because she came from a big city and immediately captures the interest of the most popular girls in school. When flashes of her memories start to come back, Mila doesn’t know if they’re nightmares or reality. Meanwhile at school, a new guy moves to town from California. Mila is drawn to Hunter, to his manga obsession and beat up skate shoes, but her best friend Kaylee has already called dibs. When Hunter shows interest in Mila her so-called friends turn on her and Mila doesn’t understand. Desperate to gain back some semblance of normalcy, Mila apologizes and tries to explain. Things are just starting to turn around when Kaylee and Mila spot Hunter walking home from school. Mila is shut down with a snarky, rude comment from Kaylee and forced to get in the back cab of the pickup truck while Hunter gets cozy in the front seat. On the way to Dairy Queen, Kaylee enthusiastically suggests a drag race, no doubt to impress Hunter, and takes off down the road, completely disregarding Mila’s safety. Mila is thrown from the back of the cab on to a heap of metal. Mila is terrified that she has a spinal injury because she can’t feel any pain. When Hunter and Kaylee arrive, they’re horrified by the gash in her arm and that’s when Mila first notices that her arm is not bleeding, nor is their any blood beneath the skin only a milky white liquid and a glimpse of metal where bone should be. More confused than ever, Mila confronts her mother and is given an iPod, that holds all the answers to her questions.

Mila learns that she is not a shy, sixteen year old girl but a government military defense initiative in android technology. Mila has never been human or born and all of her suffering and memories of loss were implanted. She’s never been older than 16 and she never will be. Mila is an android and wanted by the U.S. government. As the secrets come out, Mila learns that her mother is a scientist, one of the ones that created her and rescued her from a secret facility, she shut off all of Mila’s android technology and made her forget so that she could have a normal life. Betrayed, sickened, and scared Mila doesn’t know who she can trust or if she can even trust her own emotions, because, after all, they’re simulated. After the drag race accident Mila is alienated by her friends and wants nothing more than to flee town and pick up the pieces of her life when the government comes knocking and Mila and her mother are forced on the run for their lives.

PROS: 

• Hunter and Lucas are by far the most interesting, compassionate, developed characters in the story. They both have depth, intelligence, and quirky, caring personalities that help Mila grow. Hunter is gorgeous, different, and someone who Mila feels like she can trust with her secrets. Lucas is a genius, that nerdy-cute guy that draws you in with his awkward attempts at humor..er…conversation, and keeps you on your toes. Both are pleasant components and give the story a potential love triangle without unrealistic love at first sight. It’s real, it’s complex, and definitely refreshing.
• Mila’s internal battles to embrace her dual natures, that of her android body and her human emotions, is both heart-breaking and incredibly moving. Her hurt is genuine, how is she supposed to know if any of her feelings are authentic or just some cleverly written technology?
• The technology itself is fascinating and extremely detailed. The test procedures for the androids, the underground anarchist groups that threaten the government, the risky, heartless goals of the military are all compelling and somehow very believable.

CONS:

• All of the female characters are stereotypical, and their faults are emphasized to the point of disbelief. Kaylee is the epitome of a bitchy, self-absorbed, vapid mean girl who drops her friends whenever she feels slightly threatened or doesn’t get her way. The other members of her posse are just as bad, if not worse, and some sections of their dialogue are so obnoxiously evil that it’s infuriating and you’ll desperately yearn for Mila to grow a backbone.
• There’s little development between characters in the first half of the book, Mila’s trauma over her father’s death is crippling and forces her to stick with the “friends” she’s got but how she deals with the abuse is detrimental to her character development. Mila seems weak, and while it’s understandable that she’s recovering from her loss and eager to fit in, the fact that she allows her friends to treat her so poorly diminishes her character. This changes as the book progresses and Mila gains some confidence and learns that the only way to feel strong is to embrace her humanity and android technology.
• The first half of the book is a little slow and while not hard to get into, a bit tedious because of the sheer fury generated by most of the smaller characters.

If you like any of the following you will enjoy this:

Happy reading,

-BB

Review: Cinder- Marissa Meyer

4/5 Stars

Cinder (The Lunar Chronicles, #1)- Melissa Meyer

Lunars were a society that evolved from an Earthen moon colony centuries ago, but they weren’t human anymore. People said Lunars could alter a person’s brain-make you see things you shouldn’t see, feel things you shouldn’t feel, do things you didn’t want to do. Their unnatural power had made them a greedy and violent race, and Queen Levana was the worst of them all.

Plot: A retelling of Cinderella with a robotic twist, Cinder follows the journey of Cinder to escape her wicked stepmother, fall in love with her prince charming, and to save the world from the evil Lunars who threaten all of the Earthen inhabitants with a deadly plague. All her life Cinder has felt like a burden, and a freak, part cyborg, part human she has never quite fit in anywhere but she is the most renown mechanic in the Beijing district. Cinder is forced to work, and because she is the ward of her stepmother her earnings are taken away and lavished on her step sisters. Cinder is avoided by the people in the market because cyborgs are seen as less than slaves, they’re unnatural, and unwelcome. All Cinder wants is to escape but with her stepmother breathing over her shoulder and no income there’s little hope for a brighter, freer future. One day while at her booth, a hooded stranger approaches Cinder with an ancient Android. She is shocked by the warm brown eyes that seem to embrace, and welcome her in, and even more startled to recognize their owner at the crown Prince Kai. After this chance meeting Cinder’s thoughts revolve around the Prince but she knows he could never possibly fall for her, after all she’s a cyborg and yet she clings to his compassionate, boyish kindness. Cinder loves her sister Peony, even though cyborgs are rumored to lack emotional capacity, and when Peony is struck with the plague Cinder’s world falls apart. She is blamed for Peony’s sickness, and given to the medical researchers as a guinea pig to test plague microbes on. Cinder is injected with the microbes, and the plague is tracked through her system but miraculously, the plague seems to disappear. Dr. Erland thinks Cinder might be the key to an antidote, and Cinder is willing to sacrifice herself in order to find a cure to save Peony. With a separate bank account set up, and bruised by needles, Cinder returns home. Cinder continues her budding friendship with the Prince, and soon learns that nothing is ever what it seems, even your own identity. Soon Cinder no longer knows who she is as her DNA results come back she has more questions than answers. Meanwhile, Prince Kai is negotiating with the deceitful Queen Levana of the Lunars-a group of magical beings who are able to manipulate, and brainwash through bioelectric powers, and live on the moon. The story follows Cinder through her quest for love, the truth about her past, and how to save the world from the plague, and the imminent Lunar-Earthen war.

PROS:

• Cinder is a unique heroine. She is ballsy, direct, sarcastic, and so witty. She has several hilarious lines and her personality is definitely something you don’t want to miss. Cinder knows how she is perceived by others but she believes in herself and is not afraid to share her opinions. Cinder’s is also as compassionate as she is funny, and does not let her horrible living situation break her.
• There are several comical, all around heart warming moments that leave you laughing out loud with how cleverly they were delivered.
• Kai is handsome, honest, and so full of life. You will fall in love with him as easily as Cinder does. He will take you in with his charming, smiling, adorableness, and you will never want to let go.
• The social hierarchy when it comes down to technological advancement, and materialism is really interesting in its complexity. Humanity is valued above all else, and although technology in the form of gadgets is smiled upon, cyborgs and androids are merely for aiding in entertainment or as servants.
• The use of the plague, and the Lunars as a combined medical, magic, and scientific threat was innovative, and added to the overall dystopian outlook.

CONS:

• There’s not a very detailed description of what Cinder looks like.
• Some things were rather predictable.
• There were a few monotonous parts but they quickly picked up.

Overall Cinder was an enjoyable, pleasant read. If you liked the following books you might like this:

 

 

 

 

-BB