Dystopian Books Out Now (Featured in August) + Giveaways of The Way We Fall and Legend

Part of the fun of my dystopian months is getting to read and review new dystopian lit months ahead of time. I thought a little reminder post was in order...because now you can actually buy these books or borrow them from the library!

SCORED by Lauren McLaughlin Oct 2011

Summary:
Imani knows the only way for her to be able to afford college is to keep her score above the scholarship line of 90.  But is the score really the best thing for Imani and society as a whole? Or is it just a way for ScoreCorp to rule with an iron fist?

What I said then:

"Privacy is a big issue and Author McLaughlin explores it here in depth, showing us the effects freely opening up your life for public scrutiny has on a person, a peer group and a larger society."

Read my entire review

LEGEND by Marie Lu Nov 2011

Summary:

Day is the Republic’s most wanted criminal and June is the Republic’s most promising military cadet and charged with tracking him down. Day only stays in the city because he wants to protect his family. June is out to avenge her brother’s murder. When they meet, they uncover secrets and discover they might not be on opposing sides after all.

What I said then: 

"I was completely drawn into their two points of view, understood their motivations and rooted for them to succeed – which of course creates palpable tension and heart-stopping thrills. Day and June are dystopian fiction’s new power couple: Apart they are formidable opponents – but together, they are legend." 5 Zombie Chickens - Highly recommended

Read my entire review

Want to read a copy?  Thanks to Penguin, I have two hardcover copies up for grabs. US and Canada only.  Fill out this form by Friday Feb 10th, 2012 at 11:59 CST for your chance to win!

THE PLEDGE by Kimberly Derting Nov 2011

Summary: 

In the violent country of Ludania, where merely looking at someone who speaks a different language than you can condemn you to the gallows, Charlie lives in fear of her neighbors discovering her unique ability to understand all languages. When she meets a boy who speaks a language she has never heard before, Charlie is swept up into centuries old intrigue and a forbidden romance.

What I said then:

"The prologue, featuring the most evil queen this side of Snow White, sets up the creepy atmosphere of Derting’s dystopian world perfectly."

Read my entire review

CROSSED by Ally Condie Nov 2011

Summary: 

Sequel to MATCHED.  Assigned to a work camp, Cassia has only one thing on her mind: getting to the outer provinces to look for Ky. Meanwhile, Ky is trying his best to survive as a decoy villager at the edge of the Society’s reach, knowing he’ll probably never see Cassia again.

What I said then:

"CROSSED will most appeal to Team Ky fans (he even gets chapters from his point of view). Probably my favorite part was the setting. Deep canyons and landscape that reminded me of the James Franco movie 127 Hours (without the arm amputation)."

Read my entire review

THE WAY WE FALL by Megan Crewe Jan 2012

Summary: 

When a deadly virus begins to sweep through sixteen-year-old Kaelyn’s community, the government quarantines her island—no one can leave, and no one can come back. Those still healthy must fight for dwindling supplies, or lose all chance of survival. As everything familiar comes crashing down, Kaelyn joins forces with a former rival and discovers a new love in the midst of heartbreak. When the virus starts to rob her of friends and family, she clings to the belief that there must be a way to save the people she holds dearest.  Because how will she go on if there isn't?

What I said then:

"Despite hitting some familiar beats of epidemic fiction (looting, violence, characters close to main character dying, dwindling supplies, etc), the narrative still manages to feel fresh."

Read my entire review

View the trailer

Visit the website

Want to read a copy?  Thanks to Big Honcho Media, I have two hardcover copies of THE WAY WE FALL up for grabs. US and Canada only.  Fill out this form by Friday Feb 10th, 2012 at 11:59 CST for your chance to win!

INCARNATE by Jodi Meadows

Summary: 

In a world where all other inhabitants have been reincarnated over and over again for thousands of years, Ana is a new soul (or as her heartless mother Li likes to say, a “No soul”). Once she hits 18, she sets out for Heart to find answers about the origins of her existence.

What I said then:

"The world building is inventive and made my imagination run wild. I can’t wait to see what Meadows has in store for the rest of the trilogy!"

Read my entire review

Read Jodi's preview interview

Are any of these on your to-read list?

Dystopian February 2012 Kick-off + HarperCollins Prize Pack

It's here: the 5th in a row of dystopian theme months that began in Feb 2010 to spotlight dystopian and post-apocalyptic fiction. If you plan to participate with me this month, grab the Dystopian February badge above or from my sidebar and put it on your blog, linking to this kick-off post.

Now I'm pretty inclusive in my definition of dystopia/post-apocalyptic lit, so you'll find a wide range of books, including some occasional books with very limited dystopias. Thanks to the explosion in popularity of the genre, publishers often market books as dystopias which really aren't - in which case I will alert you to that fact in my review.

So what's in store this month?

Reviews of over 15 dystopian novels, past, present and future. (Refer to my index of dystopian reviews for latest updates and past reads) Every Thursday, I'll do an in-depth joint review of a book with Michelle from Galleysmith. NOTE: In a policy change, I'm giving each book I review a merit badge in one of the following categories: World-building, Action, Romance, Twisty Reads, and Great Writing (see the merit badges here - they are ADORBS! and read more about the philosophy behind the merit badges here) so if you know you prefer world-building books over all else, you'll know which titles to look out for.


Interviews with more authors releasing an upcoming dystopian which give you an exclusive preview of these upcoming books. Each author answered the same six questions and shared a song to add to the Ultimate Dystopian Playlist I've been compiling. See my index of author preview interviews from August 2011 including MY interview about my forthcoming book LEVEL TWO.


Plus - TONS of book giveaways, a preview checklist and weekend round-up posts to catch you up on anything you might have missed.


Speaking of giveaways, HarperCollins US has generously donated one prize pack of dystopian YA books. All you have to do to enter to win is read and review at least one dystopian or post-apocalyptic novel during the month of February and then link to your review via a google form below (if you review it on your blog or GoodReads because you don't have a blog). Challenge and contest is open worldwide (if a non-US resident wins, I will receive the prize & forward it on to you), so get reading!


Here are the books you could win:

Divergent by Veronica Roth (my review) (add to Goodreads)

Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi (my review) (add to Goodreads)

Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi (my review) (preview interview) (add to Goodreads)

Incarnate by Jodi Meadows (my review) (preview interview) (add to Goodreads)

Eve by Anna Carey (my review) (add to Goodreads)

Once by Anna Carey (add to Goodreads) (NOTE: You will get the finished hardcover in July 2012)

Masque of the Red Death by Bethany Griffin (preview interview) (add to Goodreads) (NOTE: You will get the finished hardcover in May 2012)

Partials by Dan Wells (add to Goodreads)

Enter links to your dystopian reviews in February here.

The above link takes you to a google form.

See links to other dystopian reviews here.

The above link takes you to a google spreadsheet.

I'll be posting at least once a day usually at midnight (Central European Time) and sometimes at noon (CET). If you don't want to miss anything, consider following my blog or subscribing via a feedreader. Thanks! I hope you enjoy this month as much as I am enjoying putting it together!


Tweet me! @lenoreva The official twitter hashtag is: #dystopianfeb Let's talk dystopian :)

Return of Cat Tuesday (62)

Today I heard a giant crash, and when I went to investigate, I found Lu in a fort of his own making.  He'd pulled down the laundry hanger.

This'll be the last Cat Tuesday until March 6th due to Dystopian February.

Apocalypsies Love! Book Review: The Miseducation of Cameron Post by Emily M. Danforth

Apocalypsies Love is all about me telling you what I loved about a 2012 debut book written by one of the amazing Apocalypsies. I also chat with the author to gain insight into their very favorite parts of their creation.

Today I am spotlighting THE MISEDUCATION OF CAMERON POST, a YA realistic fiction novel about a girl growing up in Montana. When her parents die suddenly in a car crash, her shocking first thought is relief. Relief she’ll never have to tell them that, hours earlier, she had been kissing a girl.  As she pushes down her guilt, she becomes good at blending in - until she falls in love with the most beautiful girl in school.

Normally, when I pick up a book of 466 pages I think "there must be something the author could have cut - why does it have to be so long?" But after reading Cameron Post, I can't think of a single passage I'd want to scrap. I wasn't even able to skim over anything, the story and writing was so compelling.

The subject matter isn't easy - there is a lot of drug and alcohol use, sexual situations, bad language - but all of it was integral to the story.

I loved so many of the supporting characters: Irene and her dinosaur farm, Jaime (so understanding), Jane Fonda, Adam. They all felt so real, like entire books could be written about them too (ones that I would read, without question).

Luckily, I had the chance to interview the author.  Not surprisingly, her answers are quite long and illuminating.

Welcome Emily!

What is your favorite scene in the book?
There's a scene fairly early in the novel with Cam and Irene at the Custer County Fair and it was one that I wrote early on in the drafting process, when I was still figuring out these characters, this novel, and I remember thinking, this one does what it needs to do. You know? That the mood and sentiment, the voice, all of it was working. A few lines from it are featured in the book trailer, actually--so you know it's a fave of mine. But, I don't know, it's so hard to pick, right? I would assume it would be hard for any novelist. There's also a scene between Cam and Coley, out at Coley's family's ranch, during Bucking Horse Sale, that I think does just what it's supposed to in terms of establishing attraction and longing and adolescent awkwardness, all of those things at once. So, I'll say those two.



What is your favorite line in the book?
Well geeze: that's like asking someone to choose just one of their favorite children. It's a horrible, horrible wretched thing. Lucky for me, I guess, my sentences are sometimes very long, so what I've tried to do here is pick one that gets at several of the themes explored throughout the novel. However, I would never call it my favorite, it's just one that I like. From the bottom of page 178: 

We lay flat on our backs, our feet planted and our knees in the air, the just-setting sun coloring the remaining clouds in plum and navy with Pepto Bismol-pink underbellies and the sky behind them every candy-colored shade of orange, from circus peanut to sugared jelly slice.


I agree - there were so many you could have chosen. What setting was most fun to write?

I think that sense of place is so crucial to Cameron's experience--and thus to the novel--that it's hard for me to really think of setting without thinking of Montana as a whole, and specifically of eastern Montana, which has large stretches of badlands--strange sandstone rock outcroppings and tumbleweed and juniper bushes--it's a very memorable landscape. And certainly the small(ish) ranching town of Miles City (a fictionalized version of the very town I grew up in) was fun, too--the street dance scene and the scenes at Scanlan Lake and the movie theater, the county fair. But the one specific locale that comes to mind is the abandoned hospital--Holy Rosary. This is a location, a setting, I pulled right out of my own adolescence and built from. The old hospital in Miles City really did sit abandoned for a number of years before they renovated part of it and tore down the rest and it was, just as in the novel, an incredibly appealing place to break into and cause mischief if you were a teenager. This is a photo of what the courtyard and old section looked like before they did major renovations and landscaping in recent years. 

Spooky! Who is your favorite supporting character - one you could see getting a spin-off book - and why? I personally would love to read more about Irene, Jaime, Jane Fonda and Adam.
 Well, my "favorite" supporting character and the one I could see getting a spin-off novel aren't necessarily one in the same. I think my favorite supporting character is probably Grandma Post, but I don't think I'd have either the interest in or ability to write an entire book about her life, at least not at her present age; maybe the the younger version of her character, but not as is.

Um, spin-off, spin-off, let's see. I think it's a tie between Irene Klauson and Margot Keenan--the longtime friend of Cam's mother who comes to visit Cam in Miles City and then is in contact with her a few other times throughout the novel. I wouldn't have necessarily said Irene, initially, but I was discussing this question with my wife and she was saying how she'd like to read about Irene's adventures in boarding school, her future without Cam and without Miles City, and all of that did sound like excellent material to explore. And as for Margot: I love Margot. She's really a relatively minor character in this version of the novel, but I could easily see myself devoting a whole book to her. In fact, in one of the early drafts of The Miseducation of Cameron Post--one of the much, much longer drafts, we're talking 800+ pages--Margot does return to Cam's world and there are several scenes with the two of them and also some other characters that never even made it into this version. Margot has a past, no question, and that cool job with the sportswear company. Yeah, I'd like to follow her around for awhile, no question.


What has been your favorite part of your publishing journey so far?
Oh gosh: so many things. It's been such fun working with the team at Balzer + Bray, especially my fantastic editor, Alessandra Balzer. And seeing the cover for the first time was incredible, because it was just so perfect--and it's certainly something you worry, or at least wonder, about. I did, anyway. Will I like it? What if I don't? Will it "work" for my book? I remember that it was sent to me and I had to download it onto my phone and wait for it to open, section by section, because I was standing in a hotel room in D.C. at a conference. And it was such a great moment to have it load fully and to just love it. I also had a great time working with a local RI filmmaker--Trevor Holden, nicest guy ever--on the book trailer, which I'm very proud of. But, you know, the reactions of so many readers thus far has just been incredibly meaningful, too. It's so touching when someone who has read and liked your book takes the time to shoot you an email or post a blog or even tweet you, whatever, it's really wonderful every single time that happens. So that's been pretty darned fantastic.

Thanks Emily!

_______________________________

THE MISEDUCATION OF CAMERON POST comes out on Feb 7, 2012. Watch the trailer, visit Emily's website, and add it to Goodreads.


FTC disclosure: I received a review copy from the publisher.

Dystopian February is NEXT WEEK! Check out these badges ...

Who's excited for Dystopian February?!  I know I am.

Here's what's on tap:

15+ book reviews
More author preview interviews of upcoming books
Tons of giveaways
A book discussion with Michelle of Galleysmith every Thursday

and .... Zombie Chicken Merit Badges!!

Instead of doing ratings this time, I will be handing out merit badges in the following categories:

- romance (chemistry, swoonworthy love interest, etc)

- worldbuilding (logical, attention to detail, plausibility, etc)

- action (fast paced, heart pumping, can't put it down, etc)

- twists (surprising, original, etc)

- writing (atmosphere, flow, beautiful words, etc)

What do you think? Aren't they AWESOME?! Thanks Daniel :)

Apocalypsies Love! Book Review: Harbinger by Sara Wilson Etienne

Apocalypsies Love is all about me telling you what I loved about a 2012 debut book written by one of the amazing Apocalypsies. I also chat with the author to gain insight into their very favorite parts of their creation.

Today I am spotlighting HARBINGER, a book about a girl who is sent to a very special boarding school and must walk the "path". 

So the first thing I really liked about HARBINGER is that it's set in a near future where oil is rationed, where trees are pretty much extinct after being harvested for firewood to survive freezing winters and people are really worried about the state of the world - is the apocalypse coming? 

Those who can afford it live in closed and guarded communities, and Faye has always stood out because of her visions and nightmares.  Her parents decide to drop her off at boarding school where she can hopefully get help.  The boarding school turns out to be an even bigger nightmare for Faye though - it's run a bunch of sadistic staff members who try to break Faye and her classmates.  Faye forms a bond with her "family" group of students - all who wake up every morning from their drugged sleep with blood on their hands.  And it gets weirder from there.

HARBINGER is a trip, an exciting mystery with a killer ending.

Now let's talk to Sara!

What is your favorite scene in the book?

In one of the early scenes, Faye is up on the roof of the Holbrook dorms. It’s the first time she feels connected to this place and the scene’s been with me since I started writing the book. For a long time, readers found the scene confusing and I tried again and again to do justice to what I imagined in my mind. I finally succeeded and now I feel like my vision is there on the page. That makes the scene very important to me. Plus I love that moment.


What is your favorite line in the book?

The last line. But I’m NOT telling! There is nothing like writing that last line of a story and knowing that it’s just right.


What setting was most fun to write?

There are a lot of tall cliffs and mysterious buildings in Harbinger, but my favorite place to write was actually solitary confinement. Shutting your character in the dark really forces you to focus on all the senses we often think of as secondary. This extra sensory layer gives an intimacy to the scene that was really fun to work with.


Who is your favorite supporting character - one you could see getting a spin-off book - and why?

That’s hard! I love all of Faye’s Holbrook “Family.” Nami was probably my favorite to write, with her mohawk and eff-you attitude. But the person I became most interested in was Zach, with his Bizarro Superman shirt and his hidden courage. His backstory took on a life of it’s own, even though I barely got to touch on it, and he surprised me by who he became.


I enjoyed spending time with all the characters, so I can see how hard your choice was. What has been your favorite part of your publishing journey so far?

How amazing it is to work with an editor who sees where you want to go and knows how to ask the questions that get you there. It is a revelation!

Thanks Sara!

___________________________

HARBINGER comes out on Feb 2, 2012.  Watch the trailer, visit Sara's website, and add it to Goodreads.

FTC disclosure: I received a review copy from the publisher.

Apocalypsies Starter Pack #4 Giveaway

2012 is upon us and that means lots of great Apocalypsies debuts including a little book of mine called LEVEL 2!

To begin the year right, I am giving away four different starter packs in January so you can get reading some of these fabulous novels. Starter pack #3 was won by Brynn at Chronicles of a Mountain Librarian and today I have Starter pack #4 on offer.

Starter pack #4 includes:

BORN WICKED by Jessica Spotswood (ARC)

THE MISEDUCATION OF CAMERON POST by Emily Danforth (ARC)

REUNITED by Hilary Weisman Graham (ARC)

+ a chapter sampler of STARTERS by Lissa Price

+ the following swag:

(1) very fancy keychain + 4 stickers + 1 bookmark from Elisa Ludwig's PRETTY CROOKED

(1) very cool necklace + 1 signed bookmark from Sarah Tregray's LOVE AND LEFTOVERS

(2) rubber bracelets + 1 signed bookmark from Kami Kinard's THE BOY PROJECT
(3) postcards from AC Gaughen's SCARLET
(5) signed bookmarks + 1 sticker from Jessica Spotwood's BORN WICKED
(5) signed bookmarks from Lissa Price's STARTERS

(3) stickers + 1 trading card from Miranda Kenneally's CATCHING JORDAN

+ 1 signed bookmark from:
KISS THE MORNING STAR by Elissa Janine Hoole
THE GATHERING STORM by Robin Bridges
REUNITED by Hilary Weisman Graham

HEMLOCK by Kathleen Peacock

+ 1 bookmark from:
MAY B by Caroline Starr Rose
CINDER by Marissa Meyer
FRACTURE by Megan Miranda

In order to win, you must have a book review blog or an active GoodReads account. An extra entry will be given to those who are signed up for The Story Siren's Debut Author Challenge 2012.

Open INTERNATIONALLY until Jan 31, 2012 at 11:59 pm CST. Enter here! And good luck!

I'll being doing Apocalypsies Starter Packs again, probably in May or June, so be on the lookout for those.

Apocalypsies Love! Review: The Gathering Storm by Robin Bridges

Apocalypsies Love is all about me telling you what I loved about a 2012 debut book written by one of the amazing Apocalypsies. I also chat with the author to gain insight into their very favorite parts of their creation.

Today I am spotlighting THE GATHERING STORM, a book set in Tsarist Russia, but re-imagined with vampires and a main character who is a necromancer. 

More than anything else, Katerina wants to be a doctor.  But because Russia doesn't accept women into its medical academies, she is instead expected to get married.  A proposal soon comes from the crown prince of Montenegro, but Katerina is warned that he doesn't want her, but rather her power to raise the dead. And if he gets it, it could mean very bad things for the imperial family and all of Russia.

I was drawn to this novel because I love the Tsarist Russian time period, and the historical details did not disappoint (not that I'm an expert or anything). It definitely made me reaffirm St Petersburg on my travel wishlist. 

I also usually avoid "vampire" books, but I'm pleased to say that the vampires here exuded real evil and set themselves up as actual threats.

Excited to see where this trilogy goes next!

Now let's chat with Robin! 

What is your favorite scene in the book?

Ooh, when Katerina meets Count Chermenensky for the first time, and tries to hide him from the Imperial family. :)

Such a fun scene! What is your favorite line in the book?  

"Merde!"  (Katerina is fond of this word.  So is the author.)

 

What setting was most fun to write?  

The scenes that take place in the Winter Palace.  I tried hard to convince hubby that I HAD to visit the palace in person to be sure my details were accurate.  He did not believe me.

 

I hope you get there someday! Who is your favorite supporting character - one you could see getting a spin-off book - and why?

I love poor Count Chermenensky best, I think.  But Princess Alix has already demanded her own short story.

Ooh Alix short story - I'm intrigued. What has been your favorite part of your publishing journey so far? 

Every new step becomes my newest favorite- receiving my edit letter, seeing the cover for the first time, receiving my first ARC, seeing my book in the bookstore.

Gorgeous cover btw. Thanks Robin!

_______________________

THE GATHERING STORM is now available in hardcover.  Find out more about it at the author's website and add it to Goodreads.

FTC disclosure:  I received this ARC as part of the Amazon Vine program.

Return of Cat Tuesday (61) - Special Fashion Cats Edition

A couple of years ago, a friend of ours dropped by and gave us some tear sheets from a German magazine featuring Takako Iwasa's FASHION CATS. We loved them so much, we pinned them up on Daniel's inspiration board. And then, a few months ago, we discovered Takako had done a whole book featuring her cats dressed up in seriously cute outfits. Obviously, we had to have it. (And if you have to have it too, check out the official FASHION CATS book website - it has a video).

The book not only has adorable pictures of her patient felines Prin and Kotaro posing in everything from wedding attire to holiday favorites to animal hats, but it also has some behind the scenes photos and one lonely DIY pattern for a cat choker. I demand a companion book so I can create the “Anne of Green Gables is Cleaning” hat and red yarn curls … 

As fate would have it, I did manage to find a reindeer hat on deep discount after Christmas at PetSmart. Emmy, as you see below, was none too pleased by her gift.

Apocalypsies Love! Book Review: Everneath by Brodi Ashton

Apocalypsies Love is all about me telling you what I loved about a 2012 debut book written by one of the amazing Apocalypsies. I also chat with the author to gain insight into their very favorite parts of their creation.

Today EVERNEATH is up. It's a modern spin on the Persephone myth that introduces us to immortal beings called Everlivings who prey on people to renew their energy.  Oh, and it just might be my favorite Persephone retelling of all.

So, Nikki wakes up after 100 years of being cuddled against her Everliving, Cole - and he's sucked her dry.  Except that Nikki still has the vague memory of a boy with floppy brown hair, and she decides to return above to Earth for 6 months so she can say goodbye before being eternally damned to the tunnels.

I loved how the structure here really adds to the tension: It flips back and forth between a countdown to Nikki's return date and a history of before her time below (what happened to make her forfeit her life?). I couldn't stop reading until I knew.

The Daughters of Persephone stuff was super fascinating, but I won't go into that here since it's kind of spoilery.

Also? Cole totally reminded of Cole St. Clair (from Maggie Stiefvater's LINGER and FOREVER), and that's never a bad thing.

Perfect ending - and now I can't wait to read book 2!

Shall we chat with Brodi?  

What is your favorite scene in the book?

Oh man, that's like choosing a favorite kid! Just kidding, I totally have a favorite kid. My favorite scene would have to be when Nikki chooses to tell Jack the truth, and she sneaks into his bedroom, and when she's too scared to speak, they play poker.

What is your favorite line in the book?

He leaned forward and said, "Tell me, friend. Is there more for us?"
I looked down at my feet. "There's everything for us."

Chills! What setting was most fun to write?

I enjoyed writing the everyday normal-ness of the high school. That's how I get most of my story ideas: Plop a character down in high school and mess with them. Then see what happens.

Who is your favorite supporting character - one you could see getting a spin-off book - and why?

I love Jack's brother Will, but I would love to see Nikki's bff Jules get her own book. She sort of got the short end of the deal, considering she has been a constant for all of the characters, and yet she doesn't get to find out the truth. She needs to find love for herself, and mend her broken heart.

What has been your favorite part of your publishing journey so far?

Meeting new people, like you! And getting fan letters from young readers. Those absolutely make my day. So if you read Everneath, and you like it, let me know!

Thanks so much for having me!!

Thanks for stopping by!

______________________________

EVERNEATH comes out tomorrow in hardcover.  Find out more about it at the author's website and add it to Goodreads. 

FTC: I received a review copy from the publisher.