Delirium by Lauren Oliver Review

Title: Delirium (Delirium #1)

Author: Lauren Oliver

Genre: Young Adult, Dystopian

Page Count: 480 pages

Publish Date: January 1, 2011

Book Type: Kindle Special Edition

Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers

ISBN: 9780061726828

ASIN: B00526ZKYS

From Goodreads:

Before scientists found the cure, people thought love was a good thing. They didn’t understand that once love -- the deliria -- blooms in your blood, there is no escaping its hold. Things are different now. Scientists are able to eradicate love, and the government demands that all citizens receive the cure upon turning eighteen. Lena Holoway has always looked forward to the day when she’ll be cured. A life without love is a life without pain: safe, measured, predictable, and happy.

But with ninety-five days left until her treatment, Lena does the unthinkable: She falls in love.

My Review: I think I can pretty much say that I adore Lauren Oliver’s writing. First, Before I Fall and now Delirium. I need to read the sequel like yesterday. To me, Oliver has a very poetic style of writing. I don’t know if that’s the right word, but it flows so well and it is somewhat elegant. Plus, both of her books that I have read were emotionally heavy. They sat with me for a very long time.

I also enjoy that Oliver really tries to have all of her characters have flaws. It can get kind of tiring reading about perfect characters, but you won’t really find that in Delirium... and it’s awesome. I am really anxious to see what some of my favorite characters are up to in Pandemonium. I should say anxious/scared. You’ll understand what I’m saying once you finish it. 


I feel like this review is super short, but I'm finding it really hard to say much without giving everything away. I'll leave it at awesome character development, fabulous world building, and beautiful writing.

I probably don’t need to tell you this, but you should read this book now. Warning: The ending is KILLER.

The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa Review

Title: The Immortal Rules (Blood of Eden #1)

Author: Julie Kagawa @Jkagawa

Genre: Young Adult, Vampire, Dystopian, Post Apocalyptic

Page Count: 480 pages

Publish Date: April 24, 2012

Book Type: Kindle galley from Netgalley, Signed Hardcover

Publisher: Harlequin Teen @HarlequinTeen

ISBN: 9780373210510

From Goodreads: In a future world, Vampires reign. Humans are blood cattle. And one girl will search for the key to save humanity.        Allison Sekemoto survives in the Fringe, the outermost circle of a vampire city. By day, she and her crew scavenge for food. By night, any one of them could be eaten. Some days, all that drives Allie is her hatred of them. The vampires who keep humans as blood cattle. Until the night Allie herself is attacked—and given the ultimate choice. Die or become one of the monsters. Faced with her own mortality, Allie becomes what she despises most. To survive, she must learn the rules of being immortal, including the most important: go long enough without human blood, and you will go mad. Then Allie is forced to flee into the unknown, outside her city walls. There she joins a ragged band of humans who are seeking a legend—a possible cure to the disease that killed off most of humankind and created the rabids, the mindless creatures who threaten humans and vampires alike. But it isn’t easy to pass for human. Especially not around Zeke, who might see past the monster inside her. And Allie soon must decide what—and who—is worth dying for.

My Review: The cover model isn’t exactly how I pictured Allison Sekemoto to look, but I like how it’s essentially black and white with only the red accent. Plus, I read this book in two days--which for a 480 page book is pretty good for me. It was a pretty hard book to put down!

Julie Kagawa did something really smart here. She combined two of the most popular Young Adult genres: dystopian and vampires. This may seem like overkill, but it actually worked really well. I was starting to get sick of vampire books because they all seem to have a very similar Twilight-esque formula. This is why I absolutely adored the addition of the dystopian society.

The registered and unregistered humans in The Immortal Rules reminded me a lot of my favorite Young Adult vampire series, The Morganville Vampires, by Rachel Caine. This made me really excited and added an extra element of danger to the world Kagawa created. Kagawa is an amazing world builder and a master of character development. In all of her books, I can picture everything vividly. It makes the reading experience that much more enjoyable.

I really enjoyed the characters in The Immortal Rules. Allie was an excellent protagonist and pretty badass. Zeke was a complex character who made some very interesting choices. I want to get to know Kanin more because of his extremely rich history. I have a feeling we will get to know more about him in future books and that makes me so excited. The rabids in the book were pretty genuinely terrifying. I definitely wouldn’t want to face them.  

Overall, this is one of the best Young Adult vampire novels I have read in a long time. I’m impatiently waiting for the sequel!

Side note: The excerpt from the next Iron Fey novel was kind of awesome! 

Thanks to Harlequin Teen, NetGalley, and Julie Kagawa for this review copy. Also, a special thanks to Harlequin Teen and Julie Kagawa for the signed copy and Immortal Rules hoodie I won on Twitter! 

What I Would Write if V Wasn't Cancelled

I first came across the television show, V, when I was at ComicCon in 2009. We got to preview the first episode and see a panel with the stars. It was actually awesome and the show was really intriguing. Unfortunately, the show got cancelled after two seasons.

In the series finale, the 5th Column is crushed in a failed coup against Anna. A new human opposition force has entered the picture called Aries Project. All humans above ground are blissed and fall under Anna's spell just as the V Armada approaches. An evil twin Lisa has been created who seduces Tyler, becomes impregnated by him, and then murders him. Lisa, the Visitor Princess, is imprisoned after an attack on her Mother's life and Anna kills her mother Diana.

That’s all pretty crazy, right? If the show had been picked up for a third season and, magically, I was writing the next episode, I’m pretty sure it would be even crazier. Since I have been so obsessed with apocalyptic and dystopian books lately, I would make the third season premiere be doomsday for humanity. Of course there would be various survivors, leading the characters into a dystopian world. The Visitor/human hybrids would survive the apocalypse, as well as some humans and Visitors. The third season would focus on the survivors trying to make sense of this new world. The V’s would rule the world (hello, dystopia) and V/human hybrids and humans would both fall under their regime. Everyone would be terrified except for the Vs. I don’t know about you, but I think it sounds pretty good. If you could write the next episode, what would you make happen? 

You can buy V Season Two on DVD (http://bit.ly/pdVG4f) and Blu-Ray (http://bit.ly/r1UbTD).

I have been hired by Warner Bros. WBWord division to promote V Season Two on DVD.

Wither by Lauren DeStefano Review

Title: Wither (The Chemical Garden #1)

Author: Lauren DeStefano

Genre: Young Adult, Dystopian

Page Count: 358 pages

Publish Date: March 22, 2011

Book Type: Library Hardcover

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing

ISBN: 9781442409057

Picture from Amazon

From Goodreads: Obviously, something went terribly wrong. Genetic mutations have festered, reducing human longevity to twenty-five, even less for most women. To prevent extinction, young girls are kidnapped, mated in polygamous marriages with men eager to procreate. Sixteen-year-old Rhine Ellery, a recent victim of this breeding farm mentality, has vowed to break loose from its fetters; but finding allies and a safe way out is a challenge she can only hope she will survive. A dystopian fantasy series starter with wings.

My Review: This cover is absolutely, 100% gorgeous. 1) I wish my hair was that awesome. 2) I love the circles and lines connecting the significant parts of the cover. 3. It’s just SO pretty.

I have to admit that the cover is what made me read this book. I eventually was sucked into the story as well. I do wish that there was more world building. Just like with my recent review of All These Things I’ve Done, I thought the world building was severely lacking in Wither. Why did everyone decide to take the “cancer cure”? I can’t imagine that every single person would consent to that without it being thoroughly tested. Why is all but North America destroyed? I just want more things explained!

Fortunately, these setbacks did not hinder my enjoyment of this book too much. I thought the character building was very well done. I got a good sense for who they were and the motives behind their actions. It was also a really quick read. Lauren DeStefano’s writing style flowed nicely and sucked me into the story.

I’m looking forward to the sequel and how that we get a little more of the world building in there!

What about you, have you read Wither? What’s your favorite dystopian?

All These Things I've Done by Gabrielle Zevin Review

Title: All These Things I’ve Done (Birthright #1)

Author: Gabrielle Zevin

Genre: Young Adult, Dystopian, Future

Page Count: 368 pages

Publish Date: September 6, 2011

Book Type: ARC won from contest

Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux

ISBN: 9780374302108

Picture from Amazon

From Goodreads: In 2083, chocolate and coffee are illegal, paper is hard to find, water is carefully rationed, and New York City is rife with crime and poverty. And yet, for Anya Balanchine, the sixteen-year-old daughter of the city's most notorious (and dead) crime boss, life is fairly routine. It consists of going to school, taking care of her siblings and her dying grandmother, trying to avoid falling in love with the new assistant D.A.'s son, and avoiding her loser ex-boyfriend. That is until her ex is accidentally poisoned by the chocolate her family manufactures and the police think she's to blame. Suddenly, Anya finds herself thrust unwillingly into the spotlight--at school, in the news, and most importantly, within her mafia family.

My Review: Love this cover! The dripping chocolate heart is just so cool. It made me hungry for chocolate the entire time I was reading this book. I probably ate more than I should have during this time period. I can’t imagine a future where chocolate and caffeine are illegal. I totally need dark chocolate, coffee, and Diet Coke in my life. Although, the idea of a coffeehouse/speakeasy is pretty cool.  

I actually really liked Anya as a character. There were times where I grew frustrated with her (mainly when she was talking with her brother or best friend), but she was “real,” which I always appreciate. By no means is she perfect, but there is something remarkably likable about characters who are not perfect. Contrary to this, I wish Win (the new boy in school/assistant D.A.‘s son) wasn’t so perfect. He needed a few more flaws, which we may find in the second book.

The middle section was my favorite part of the book. The beginning started a bit slow (but still intriguing enough to keep my interest), it peaked in the middle, and then became a bit slower at the end again. I’m definitely invested in these characters enough to want to read the next book in the series, though.

I wish we would have learned exactly why chocolate and caffeine were made illegal, yet alcohol is legal for all ages. It’s an interesting turn of events, but some more world building would have been nice. Maybe more of this will be explained in the next book? I typically like to know WHY the world has ended up this way in the dystopians I read. It allows me to ponder if this future could actually happen and what it would be like. This is one of my favorite parts of reading dystopians. I want to know what it would be like!

Would you be okay with a world where chocolate and caffeine were banned? What is something (superficial) that you can absolutely not live without? 

The Girl Who Was on Fire Review

Title: The Girl Who Was on Fire: Your Favorite Authors on Suzanne Collins’ Hunger Games Trilogy

Author: Leah Wilson, Carrie Ryan, Ned Vizzini, Lili Wilkinson, Blythe Woolston, Sarah Darer Littman, Jennifer Lynn Barnes, Mary Borsellino, Sarah Rees Brennan, Terri Clark, Bree Despain, Adrienne Kress, Cara Lockwood, Elizabeth M. Rees

Genre: Anthology

Page Count: 210 pages

Book Type: Library Paperback

Publisher: Smart Pop

ISBN: 97819356180401

Picture from Amazon

From Goodreads: Katniss Everdeen’s adventures may have come to an end, but her story continues to blaze in the hearts of millions worldwide.

In The Girl Who Was on Fire, thirteen YA authors take you back to Panem with moving, dark, and funny pieces on Katniss, the Games, Gale and Peeta, reality TV, survival, and more. From the trilogy's darker themes of violence and social control to fashion and weaponry, the collection's exploration of the Hunger Games reveals exactly how rich, and how perilous, protagonist Katniss’ world really is.

• How does the way the Games affect the brain explain Haymitch’s drinking, Annie’s distraction, and Wiress’ speech problems?
• What does the rebellion have in common with the War on Terror?
• Why isn’t the answer to “Peeta or Gale?” as interesting as the question itself?
• What should Panem have learned from the fates of other hedonistic societies throughout history&mdashand what can we?

The Girl Who Was On Fire covers all three books in the Hunger Games trilogy.

My Review: The cover for this book is perfect. I love the smoking arrow. It fits The Hunger Games trilogy completely.

This book is obviously for fans of the series. If you haven’t read the books, this one would be a major spoiler for pretty much everything in the series. In all honesty, this review may be a little spoilery as well, considering the subject matter. Just a warning for all of you non-Hunger Games readers out there (Rachel @ Fiktshun, I’m looking at you). Actually, upon further reflection, I think I kept the spoilers out of my review. 

About halfway through this book, I went and requested a couple more Smart Pop books from the library. I requested the Twilight one, the one about the Sookie Stackhouse books, a Harry Potter one, and finally one about the Gilmore Girls. These are seriously addicting. Anything that analyzes books is a-okay with me.

There were a lot of references to early Romans that I hadn’t noticed while reading. The authors also brought up some really good points about our current culture and how the games aren’t that far of a stretch from where we are. I really want to purchase this book to have on hand whenever I read the series again. I think it will be really enlightening. I was in love from the start because one of the first essays was about how the series is much, much more than Team Gale vs. Team Peeta. I cannot express how annoyed I get when this series is broken down into only a love triangle. I am cringing at all of the Team Peeta/Team Gale merchandise that will come out closer to the release of the movie. 

This book really just reaffirmed my love for The Hunger Games and I’m so glad I read it. It made me think about how I viewed the series and will no doubt have an impact on my future readings. This book is definitely for all of the book nerds out there like me (and probably you). If you have ever wanted to analyze The Hunger Games (and really, if you’ve read the series, I’m sure you want to), then I would suggest checking out The Girl Who Was on Fire!

My Reviews of the series:

The Hunger Games Review

Catching Fire Review

Mockingjay Review

Have you read this one yet? Any other good anthologies like this that you can suggest to me? I’m obsessed now!

Lockdown: Escape from Furnace by Alexander Gordon Smith Review

Title: Lockdown (Escape from Furnace)

Author: Alexander Gordon Smith

Genre: Young Adult, Dystopia, Horror

Page Count: 273 pages

Book Type: Library Paperback

Publisher: Square Fish

ISBN: 9780312611934

Picture from Amazon

From Goodreads: Beneath Heaven is Hell. Beneath Hell is Furnace. 

Furnace Penitentiary: An underground hellhole. A place of pure evil with walls soaked in blood. Murderous gangs and vicious guards rule the darkness. Horrific creatures steal people away in the dead of night. And the impossible - escape - is the only hope. 

"Hotter than Hell and twice as much fun." -Darren Shan, author of the Cirque Du Freak series 

"Fresh and ferocious." -James Patterson

My Review: This is such a super creepy cover and I love it so much. The face inside of the one eye is amazing. The font is delightful as well. So much cover love. For once, the “Fresh and ferocious” -James Patterson on the cover doesn’t even really bother me too much. It isn’t really that noticeable and is still in the cool font. 

This is one of the first YA books that has labeled itself as a thriller/horror novel that I found to be really effective. It was actually pretty scary and had me terrified of going to Furnace. 

I really loved some of the characters in here. Alex’s cellmate, Donovan, is my favorite. He was one of the first boys to go to Furnace and he has lost all of the drive to leave Furnace. He goes through the daily routines and just tries to make it to another day. Things start to look up when Alex becomes his cellmate. The character development and the detail in this novel are very well thought out. 

This made me wonder what kind of institution the females are put into. Perhaps Alexander Gordon Smith could write a companion series about the female institution. There has to be one, right?

This wasn’t a fast paced read throughout the book, but I think that worked to its advantage. As a reader, the pace really allowed me to empathize with the characters. I’m really excited to read the second in the series to see the fate of the characters. The third one comes out this summer, I believe.

Have you started this series yet? Do you think you could survive a place like Furnace? Let me know in the comments!

Gone by Michael Grant Review

Title: Gone (Gone #1)

Author: Michael Grant

Genre: Young Adult, Dystopian, Sci-Fi, Fantasy

Page Count: 576 pages (575 KB)

Book Type: ebook (Kindle)

Publisher: HarperTeen

ISBN: 9780061448788

ASIN: B0029PBVKM

Picture from Amazon

From Goodreads: In the blink of an eye. Everyone disappears. GONE.

Except for the young. Teens. Middle schoolers. Toddlers. But not one single adult. No teachers, no cops, no doctors, no parents. Just as suddenly, there are no phones, no internet, no television. No way to get help. And no way to figure out what's happened.

Hunger threatens. Bullies rule. A sinister creature lurks. Animals are mutating. And the teens themselves are changing, developing new talents—unimaginable, dangerous, deadly powers—that grow stronger by the day.

It's a terrifying new world. Sides are being chosen, a fight is shaping up. Townies against rich kids. Bullies against the weak. Powerful against powerless. And time is running out: On your birthday, you disappear just like everyone else...

My Review: The cover for this one is fine. I like the blue color scheme, but it looks as if the people on the cover are older than the almost 14-year olds they are supposed to represent. Perhaps my age calculator is off. They are pretty similar to how I pictured them, though. The tagline, “This is the way the world ends” is pretty interesting and ominous!

This is a long book, but it didn’t feel quite as long as it actually was, which is a good thing. I can’t imagine what I would do if suddenly everyone over the age of 14 disappeared and then people started to develop all kinds of crazy powers. Probably about 75% of people under 14 are not mature enough to handle this. Some of the children find ways to handle this unimaginable scenario they are thrown into and I have a few favorites. Lana had to survive all by herself when everyone went “poof” and I thought that her segments were some of the more interesting ones. Edilio seemed like an all around good guy and I really started to care for him. Edilio is faithful and genuinely nice. Sam and Astrid are also among my favorites. There are a lot of characters, but as a reader, you really do get to know the majority of them. 

Just like with Lord of the Flies, there are power struggles and fights throughout the book. Some people are forced into a power position while, on the other hand, some people want to forcefully take the power positions away from others. This book has a little bit of everything: science fiction, fantasy, romance, action and so much more. I found it really nice that Gone switched points of view. A nearly 600 page book could get monotonous with a single narrator, but this one stayed fresh. I am very excited to read the rest of this series and the fourth one, Plague, was just released April 5. 

Have you read this series yet? Which is your favorite in the series?