Review: The Eternity Cure

Title: The Eternity Cure (Blood of Eden #2)
Author: Julie Kagawa
Publication date: April 30, 2013
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Source: I recieved a copy by Netgalley in return for an honest review

Rating: 4.5 stars

Goodreads l B&N l Amazon l Book Despository

Allison Sekemoto has vowed to rescue her creator, Kanin, who is being held hostage and tortured by the psychotic vampire Sarren. The call of blood leads her back to the beginning—New Covington and the Fringe, and a vampire prince who wants her dead yet may become her wary ally.

Even as Allie faces shocking revelations and heartbreak like she’s never known, a new strain of the Red Lung virus that decimated humanity is rising to threaten human and vampire alike.

As far as sequels go, I'm glad to say that The Eternity Cure did not disappoint- which was quite a feat considering how much I loved The Immortal Rules. This book made me feel so many things- from anxiety to anticipation to short-lived joy to heartache- that I'm going to have to break down this review piece by piece.

The Characters
Allie. Badass as ever. She is both fierce and fearsome, which makes for a great vampire, yet she also carries vulnerabilities and insecurities, which makes for a great, relatable protagonist. In this book, Allie is really starting to come into her own, accepting and embracing her new vampire life. I'm really excited to see where Kagawa takes this character in the next book. Especially with the way this one ended.....

Zeke. Bookish bad boys better watch out because Ezekial Cross is making the Nice Guy persona very swoon-worthy. My favorite thing about Zeke, aside from his innate goodness is his unwavering loyalty and faith. In that respect, I think he and Allie complement each other very well.

Jackal. Oh, Ms. Kawaga.... what have you done? I think Jackal just became my favorite character in the series!! I loved how I was constantly guessing whether he would end up a hero or a villain. There are little moments when he proves to be a good ally (and great comic relief) but there is always this understanding that he can't be trusted. I guess I'm just a total sucker for morally ambiguous characters with snark. I also enjoyed his twisted sibling relationship with Allie- it brought some much needed humor and lightness into an otherwise dark story.

Kanin...... is such and interesting character. After two books, I'm still not completely sure what to make of him. Kanin takes a bigger role in this book which was quite nice because I love his demeanor, especially in relation to all the other characters. For me, Kanin is definitely the most intriguing one to read about.

And, in case you were wondering, Sarren is still as twisted and sadistic as ever.

The Plot
As always, Kagawa's pacing was perfect. This book had me hooked from the very first chapter and kept me enraptured all the way up to that jaw-dropping ending. Literally, I openly gaped at the book when I got to the last page. But don't worry, no spoilers for you!

The most notable thing about this book was that there was a lot more gore than in The Immortal Rules. On one hand, this was nice because more action was happening throughout the book- and, really, who doesn't love awesome fight scenes? On the other hand, it did feel just a tad bit excessive. There are only so many pages I can stand of sword-slashing and vampiric dismemberment.

The Romance
This is pretty surprising for me to say, but I was a little unsatisfied with the romance. It's not that I didn't like the romantic development (because I totally support the Zeke/Allie ship) but the initial meeting between the two, namely Zeke explaining why he came after Allie, did not feel very natural to me. I may be in the minority here, but, following the events of book 1, it didn't seem like their relationship was at a point where it was realistic that Zeke did the things he did for her.

All in all:
The Eternity Cure was a very riveting read. Kagawa has hit the character-plot-setting trifecta once again.
Warning: this book ends with one heck of cliffhanger. Unless it's 2014 and the third book is out, prepare junk food on hand to eat away the feelings.

Review: Seeds of Wither

Title: The Seeds of Wither (The Chemical Garden #1.5)
Author: Lauren DeStefano
Publication date: November 15, 2011
Publisher: Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers

Rating: 5 stars

Goodreads l B&N l Amazon

Discover the world author Lauren DeStefano created in Wither, a riveting dystopian thriller. In the not-so-distant future, fallout from genetic engineering causes all females to die at age twenty, and all males to die at twenty-five. Kidnapped from her home and torn from her twin brother Rowan, sixteen-year-old Rhine is forced into a polygamous marriage and taken to live in her husband’s mansion. She has everything she wants—except for freedom. But her plans to escape and return home are complicated by a devious father-in-law, as well as Rhine’s growing attraction to Gabriel, a servant who works on the estate. Read the first 100 pages of Wither and be captivated by Rhine’s journey.

This eBook sampler includes an exclusive, never-before-published short story by Lauren DeStefano. “The First Bride” reveals the events leading up to Wither, from the point of view of the bride that came before Rhine.

Don't get this for the samples of Wither or Fever. The real gem of this ebook is the short story told from Rose's point of view.

The First Bride is one of those short stories that I wish the author would write an entire book about. Rose was a character that I really liked in Wither, despite her short appearance, and after getting a peek into her head, hearing her narration, I've decided she just might be my favorite character in the series. She was a strong character who has been through multiple emotional trials. In the face of death, she chose dying with dignity even though that wasn't what others wanted for her.
I found the evolution of her relationship with Linden really interesting.

"While I had made up my mind that we would be enemies, it was hard to be hateful once I first saw him. Wiry and round-eyed, he was as frightened of me as I had prepared to be of him."

Personally, I love Linden and Rose together. They're such a good pairing. In Wither, I read about their love story but now I actually got to see it unfold.
Rose's protectiveness of Linden.
Her worry for what would happen to him after she dies.
And Linden's determination to keep her alive.

This short story left me hungering for chapters devoted to learning more about Rose and her relationship with Linden. More than anything though, it struck a chord in me with the big What If? What if things in this dystopian world had been different and these two could have had less tragic ending? This story, short as it was, made me yearn for change and ache for its characters.

"Here on Earth, living is the highest honor we humans can imagine. Death is the enemy, even if it's the only voice of reason."

Review: Insurgent

Insurgent (Divergent #2)
by Veronica Roth

Published May 1st, 2012 by HarperTeen

One choice can transform you--or it can destroy you. But every choice has consequences, and as unrest surges in the factions all around her, Tris Prior must continue trying to save those she loves--and herself--while grappling with haunting questions of grief and forgiveness, identity and loyalty, politics and love.

Tris's initiation day should have been marked by celebration and victory with her chosen faction; instead, the day ended with unspeakable horrors. War now looms as conflict between the factions and their ideologies grows. And in times of war, sides must be chosen, secrets will emerge, and choices will become even more irrevocable--and even more powerful. Transformed by her own decisions but also by haunting grief and guilt, radical new discoveries, and shifting relationships, Tris must fully embrace her Divergence, even if she does not know what she may lose by doing so.

~goodreads

Rating: 4.25 stars
Review:

I wonder if it’s possible to for a book to be too dystopian…

Don’t get me wrong, it’s not this dystopian world that I didn’t like—in fact, this 5 faction world is one of the most memorable and unique dystopian societies that I’ve read about. 

It’s the overall tone that rubbed me the wrong way.

I have somewhat of a love-hate relationship with this series, so this review might be kind of confusing and/or scattered, but it’s really hard to describe how I feel about this book!

I completely understand that Divergent ended horribly and traumatically. And since Insurgent pretty much picks up right where Divergent left off, all the characters—especially Tris—would be dealing with the trauma. And considering the things she did to survive, I’m not surprised that she pretty torn up throughout most of Insurgent.

But here’s the thing: reading an entire 500+ page book where the overall tone is bleak, morbid, angsty, and somewhat depressed can get really…. Unpleasant. To say the least.

There’s really only so much PTSD and angst I can take in a book!

While Tris is undoubtedly a pretty ballsy and admirable character, I just couldn’t really relate to her. (Might be due to some of that angst I talked about.)  Sometimes, when she talks about her emotions, her inner turmoils, I can’t help but feel that her voice, while speaking of deep, devastating emotion, comes off as somewhat…robotic. She talks about all the overwhelming emotions warring inside of her, but I just don’t really connect with her emotionally. I couldn’t really empathize because of her tone. And when it comes to her line of logic…sometimes I understand it, but sometimes I don’t. In multiple instances in this book, she figured out a plan that was supposed to be absolutely brilliant because it would outsmart everyone else, but I just couldn’t help but think, really? It made me feel like some of the other characters were maybe dumbed down a bit so Tris could seem so much smarter when she figured out the solution. I mean, come on, just because someone isn’t Erudite doesn’t mean they can’t be logical.

(well, apparently in this book, they can’t…)

At the same time, I can’t honestly say that I hate Tris as a main character. Sometimes, I'm so impressed by her acts of dauntlessness and I love her for her bravery and selflessness! She’s also tough as nails and not afraid to challenge what she believes is wrong. She exhibits a kind of behavior that a lot of people admire and aspire to. In fact, I can totally see why some people really love her as a heroine. I just happen to have a rather bipolar relationship with her.

But here’s the super weird thing: I’m not crazy about Tris, but I think Four is just about the hottest boy in Dystopia.

And he’s kind of like a male version of Tris… but, you know, more leader-like and not so traumatized. And possibly tougher. And I’m kind of in love with the dude.

Tris and Four’s relationship takes a more prominent role in this book and I really liked them together.  I wasn’t totally crazy about the fact that Four NEVER “coddled” Tris—not that I think coddling is a good thing in a relationship, but come on. It’s also not cool to expect a girl to be superman all the time—but I supposed that given the way Four is and what he’s gone through, it’s understandable.

And he more than redeems himself by the end of the book. Trust me.

ALSO. Since this books takes place literally right after Divergent, I feel like Veronica Roth might’ve expected me to either go back and reread book 1 before starting or just remember every single character and their interrelationships.

 But I’M SORRY MS. ROTH (MRS. ROTH?), I read a lot of books in the time it takes for a sequel to come out, and I really can’t be held responsible for remembering all those little details. The fact that there was absolutely no backstory, no reminder whatsoever about previous characters left me to be majorly confused for a big part of the book. At most, I remembered two or three characters. The rest, I… I wish I could say I later refigured out who they were and what their previous relationships were with other characters…but no. Not really.

As for the plot of the book, the pacing was fabulous, there was a lot of action (me gusta!) and running-from-bad-guys goodness, as well as butt-kicking awesomeness, and I really liked the fact that we got to see more of the other factions. And the Factionless. All the stakes are upped in the book and it. Is . Intense. But if anything, this book has given me way more questions than answers!  New revelations are made. New secrets are uncovered. And the ending…  Oh. My. Gosh. That ending will leave you feeling unsure of everything you thought you knew about this series. Well done, Veronica Roth, well done indeed. 

Review: The Immortal Rules

The Immortal Rules (Blood of Eden #1)
by Julie Kagawa
Published April 24th 2012 by Harlequin Teen

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.
-goodreads

Rating: 5 stars
Review:

At long last!
Since Twilight, I honestly cannot remember any other vampire book in which vampires were the super-scary-blood-sucking-monsters that they used to be before they were sparkly, swoon-worthy, tortured love interests.
Thank you Julie Kagawa for rectifying this!
The Immortal Rules was everything I could have asked for in a vampire novel--and more!
I freaking loved Kagawa's writing in the Iron Fey series--her world-building, her characters, her plot, her pacing, everything. And she's done it again! She's made me fall head-over-heels in love with another story, another set of characters!

As I read this book, I couldn't help but constantly keep the Iron Fey series in the back of my mind, occasionally comparing them. Obviously, the two stories are TOTALLY different, but if anything, this "comparison" made me realize just how talented and versatile Julie Kagawa is!
The worlds and characters are so different, but equally captivating!

The new world that Kagawa has created it very dark and grim--rightfully so because vampires basically rule the cities and rabids roam the rest of the area! And oh my goodness freaking gracious, those rabids are pretty darn frightening! The way Kagawa handled vampires, a very very overused idea now, is really a breath of fresh air! Very original. Also, they do not sparkle. The sun actually can kill them.

Allie, the protagonist, is so kicka$$ and I LOVE it! She's super tough after years of living on the fringe, and very independent and cynical and jaded. Yet despite all of that, she's also fiercely loyal and selfless towards the people she cares about. She's got her flaws and I loved that! Even though she hates vampires with a fiery passion, when faced with her own mortality, she still wants to live, which I thought was very human and realistic of her. Even as a vampire, I could relate to her internal struggle over hating what she's become and the desire to live.
All in all, Allie has become one of my favorite YA heroines of all time. I honestly could not help but love her!

And of course, I have to mention Ezekial "Zeke" Crosse. He was great--almost like a shining beacon of hope and goodness in this dark and dangerous world that Kagawa has created. He's super sweet--but extremely swoon-worthy! He complemented Allie perfectly and I wish I could've read more about him!

I even liked all the "villains" in the novel! I'm telling you: Julie Kagawa is just that talented.
But Ruth, on the other hand.... wow. I have never wanted to smack a character upside the head, hog-tie her, and stuff her in a closet the way I wanted to with Ruth! That girl.... ugh just don't even get me started!

If there were any doubts as to Julie Kagawa's ability to write, let them all be eradicated now, because she has definitely proven that the talent she had when writing the Iron Fey is alive and well and in large supply. As soon as I started reading this book, I just couldn't put it down! Everything about this book is just SO gripping! Believe me, when you finish, you will be craving book 2!
I know I am.

Review: Shatter Me

Shatter Me
by Tahereh Mafi
Published November 15th 2011 by Harper/HarperCollins


Juliette hasn't touched anyone in exactly 264 days.

The last time she did, it was an accident, but The Reestablishment locked her up for murder. No one knows why Juliette's touch is fatal. As long as she doesn't hurt anyone else, no one really cares. The world is too busy crumbling to pieces to pay attention to a 17-year-old girl. Diseases are destroying the population, food is hard to find, birds don't fly anymore, and the clouds are the wrong color.

The Reestablishment said their way was the only way to fix things, so they threw Juliette in a cell. Now so many people are dead that the survivors are whispering war-- and The Reestablishment has changed its mind. Maybe Juliette is more than a tortured soul stuffed into a poisonous body. Maybe she's exactly what they need right now.

Juliette has to make a choice: Be a weapon. Or be a warrior.                      

 -Goodreads.com

Rating: 4/5
Review: 
Let me just start off by saying that this book is undoubtedly well written! Well written to the point that it's practically a form of art in text form! 

But at the same time... the book kind of didn't meet my expectations. This book is incredibly hard for me to review because I have such conflicted feelings about this book! Don't get me wrong, I really did enjoy it. A lot, in fact. It's just that some aspects of this book just kind of got on my nerves.

Let's start with the GOOD:

• The language! Good God, the language! Why oh why can't I be all artsy and think in the beautiful way that Tahereh Mafi did in this book?! There's something just so beautiful in the metaphors she uses that has a certain je ne sais quoi, but believe me, this writing will blow your mind.
• the brilliant idea to take away something so necessary in human life, the ability to touch, and write a book about it
• The Boys. OK WAIT. I promise this is not because I am book-boy-obsessed. At least, not completely... The three main boys that I really like in this book are Adam, Kenji, and Warner. The three of them are so different that you can't really compare them together because Mafi did such a great job making them so unique! Adam is the...God, I want to say "generic" hero, but I feel like that sounds bad! Simply put, he is the ideal/classic "hero" and while some people may find that clichéd, but hey, I like his romantic side! Then there's Kenji....oh Kenji, I absolutely loved his character! He is practically the opposite of Adam, but I loved him anyway. He is funny as heck, and there's definitely more than meets the eye about him. Then, there's Warner. The bad guy. Yes, he is the villain, but... it's just so darn hard to hate him! There's something vulnerable about him and I think that you can tell that he's had a harsh upbringing that's made him who he is. Plus the whole villain thing just kind of makes him cooler. AND he's a complex character, and I love those! 

Then we have the Bad(-ish)

• Juliette. Oh God, that sounds really bad doesn't it? The fact that I don't really like the main character? But really, it's not that I don't like her, it's just that sometimes, she has these moments that annoys the heck out of me! I completely understand that she's had a super harsh life that's emotionally injured her---and believe me, I LOVED the kindness and goodness she still retained despite all that--and I get why she she starts the novel as a weak girl... but I personally didn't really feel like she ever really overcame that and emerged a stronger person. The entire book, she's either blushing or crying or feeling weak in the knees or trembling.... and it all just got to be too much you know? Like, enough is enough! Toughen up girl! Another thing about her that really just rubbed me the wrong way was how hypocritical she could be at times. Throughout the book, she would emphasize over and over again how she DOES NOT want to hurt anyone, but at the same time, every time she sees Warner, she's fantasizing about punching his face or breaking his bones! I mean, what the heck!?
• Aside from the above, the other things that I didn't really like were just technicalities: The concept of the book, the fact that Juliette can't touch anyone, I at first thought was absolutely brilliant! Then... I started to notice the X-men-esque influence... which made the whole idea... just not that fresh anymore. Shatter Me and X-men are by no means the same, but I just couldn't help noticing the similarities. Aside from that, while I previously stated that I LOVED the language of this book, I would like to say that there were just way too many metaphors. Literally, there's probably at least one metaphor on every. Single. Page. This stylistic tendency definitely helped the overall artistic angle of the book and many of them will blow your mind with their beauty, but goodness gracious, there's just a little overkill here...

Oh gosh, it probably sounds like I hate this book, BUT I REALLY DON'T. Honestly, I would definitely recommend this book to all my friends because the way it's written is just so original and breathtakingly beautiful! Will I be reading the sequel. YES. (But please, just please let Juliet get a little tougher!)

Some examples of beautiful writing...
“I spent my life folded between the pages of books.
In the absence of human relationships I formed bonds with paper characters. I lived love and loss through stories threaded in history; I experienced adolescence by association. My world is one interwoven web of words, stringing limb to limb, bone to sinew, thoughts and images all together. I am a being comprised of letters, a character created by sentences, a figment of imagination formed through fiction.”  

“The world is flat.
I know because I was tossed right off the edge and I've been trying to hold on for seventeen years. I've been trying to climb back up for seventeen years but it's nearly impossible to beat gravity when no one is willing to give you a hand. ”  


“I always wonder about raindrops.
I wonder how they're always falling down, tripping over their feet, breaking their legs and forgetting their parachutes as they tumble out of the sky toward an uncertain end. It's like someone is emptying their pockets over the earth and doesn't seem to care where the contents fall, doesn't seem to care that the raindrops burst when they hit the ground, that they shatter when they fall to the floor, that people curse the days the drops dare to tap on their doors.
I am a raindrop.” 

“You can't touch me," I whisper. I'm lying, is what I don't tell him. He can touch me, is what I'll never tell him. Please touch me, is what I want to tell him.”  


“Killing time isn't as difficult as it sounds.
I can shoot a hundred numbers through the chest and watch them bleed decimal points in the palm of my hand. I can rip the numbers off a clock and watch the hour hands tick tick tick their final tock just before I fall asleep. I can suffocate seconds just by holding my breath. I've been murdering minutes for hours and no one seems to mind.”

Review: Crossed

Crossed (Matched #2)
by Ally Condie
Published November 1st 2011 by Dutton Juvenile

In search of a future that may not exist and faced with the decision of who to share it with, Cassia journeys to the Outer Provinces in pursuit of Ky - taken by the Society to his certain death - only to find that he has escaped, leaving a series of clues in his wake.

Cassia's quest leads her to question much of what she holds dear, even as she finds glimmers of a different life across the border. But as Cassia nears resolve and certainty about her future with Ky, an invitation for rebellion, an unexpected betrayal, and a surprise visit from Xander - who may hold the key to the uprising and, still, to Cassia's heart - change the game once again. Nothing is as expected on the edge of Society, where crosses and double crosses make the path more twisted than ever.
-goodreads



Rating: 3.... maybe 3.5 out of 5
Review:  
Meh. That's how I would sum up my entire reaction to the book. Meh. I mean, it's not that the book was bad or anything... when I first found out about the sequel, I was SO excited for it, especially to read from Ky's POV. I felt like the first book was good/okay, a kind of step-stool to launch the next books.... but unfortunately this sequel fell short of my expectations. 

I don't know about others people who've read this book, but it seemed as if, all of a sudden, Condie introduced this new unknown enemy entity called "The Enemy." I mean, what the heck?! I thought the two sides were the Resistance and the Society, but out of nowhere, Condie adds this third player who apparently bombs the outer provinces and is anti-Society. But they're not with the Resistance either??? I was beyond confused, and Condie didn't really give any explanation whatsoever.

As for the characters, I enjoyed the new people introduced, but I feel like I lost some of my love for Cassia. She was an okay character, but let's face it, the main character should not be just okay. Personally, I much preferred reading Ky's chapters. Ky was definitely the sustaining aspect of the novel for me. I really enjoyed getting to know more about his past, the experiences that made him who he is, and more depth to his character that I never knew in the first book.

Also, I found the chemistry between Cassia and Ky somewhat.... lacking. Maybe it was because it had been such a long time since I read the first book and I simply forgot, or whatever, but the point is: here was Cassia risking everything to find Ky in the Outer Provinces, and here was Ky rushing back into the dangerous capital to be with Cassia, and the whole time I'm wondering, what on earth warranted such extreme actions? I mean, I know they were in love, but I just didn't seem to remember that their connection was that strong, that it was worth doing all the super risky stuff they were doing. It was all Romeo-and-Juliet-esque in a way.....


Condie's writing is undoubtedly beautiful---poetic in a way. There are numerable quotable phrases (as you will see below).... but....I don't really know how to explain it, but I feel like all the flowery language took away from me really connecting to the characters... like it was too flowery and poetic all the time. 

Despite how this review sounds, I'm pretty sure I will be reading the next book. Mainly because I want to find out what happens...and also because I absolutely hate leaving a series unfinished. It's really not that the book is bad--in fact, one of my friends thinks highly of it--it's just that it wasn't that good, in my opinion. 



 “In the end you can't always choose what to keep. You can only choose how you let it go.”

“I love.
The most reckless thing of all.” 


“Love has different shades. Like the way I loved Cassia when I thought she'd never love me. The way I loved her on the Hill. The way I love her now that she came into the canyon for me. It's different. Deeper. I thought I loved her and wanted her before, but as we walk through the canyon together I realize this could be more than a new shade. A whole new color.”
(this is my favorite quotes!) 

“Cassia and I sit as near to each other as we can. She leans into me and I keep my arms around her. I don't fool myself that I hold her together- she does that on her own- but holding her keeps me from flying apart.”  

“No one knows anything," Vick says. "Except Ky. He thinks he's found the truth in a girl.”  

 

Review: Eve

by Anna Carey  

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

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



Rating: 4/5

Review: 
Hmmm, just exactly when did dystopian novels become so freaking popular??? It seems like every other book that comes out is dystopian! Truth be told, I'm starting to lose the love for the dystopians, but I'm really glad there are good ones like Eve to keep the flame going! 


I found the plot to be really interesting. Carey does a fantastic job at creating a world scarred by this disease--yet at the same time, she made the possibility of it all believable. There is a beautiful balance of destruction and hope in this book-- there are lots of instances where you see an awful side of human-nature in this book, but Carey adds some great scenes that shows that humanity is not completely lost. Some scenes were seriously touching--my favorite being when Silas and Benny yell out "I love you" after Eve and Arden! (but don't worry, I won't give away major spoilers!) 


The characters were also great--and I don't just mean the main characters, Eve and Caleb, but just about all the side characters too! Eve's evolution through this novel is astounding and I loved how strong she came out in the end. Caleb was great too! Bad boys are so popular in YA now and it nice and refreshing to have a guy who's kind, caring, and loyal as him--like Eve said: "a good man." The other characters like Arden, Marjorie, Otis, Silas, and Benny provided great support.

OH! And what about that cover? Can I just say that I am experiencing some serious cover love right now? :) But I must say that one of my favorite aspects of this book was the references. Throughout Eve, the characters make references to old classics like Anna Karenina, Romeo and Juliet, Art History for Dummies (HA!), and, my favorite, The Giving Tree. To them, these books were like relics of the past, something that most of the boys didn't know about, but whenever they mentioned a title I knew, I was having a little mental outburst that went a little something like this: Wait! Oh my gosh! I know that book! (which...looking back now, was a little crazy of me...)  


Eve is set up wonderfully for its sequel (which I am currently wishing would come out sooner!) but the only thing that I found lacking in the book was that... spark. You know, that certain je ne sais quoi spark that ups a book from "Like" to "Love." I can't really explain it or put my finger on why this book was a 4 and not a 5, but at the same time, I really did enjoy this book; it's one of my more-liked dystopians and I think you guys should check it out!

Quotes
“Love was death’s only adversary, the only thing powerful enough to combat its clawing, desperate grasp.” 

"What do you mean 'I'm not your type'?" I asked.
The plague had killed far more females than males. As one of the few women in The New America, especially an educated, civilized woman, I'd always supposed I was every man's type.
The boy glanced back at me once and shrugged. "Eh," he muttered. 
Eh? I was intelligent, I worked hard. I was told I was beautiful. I was Eve, the valedictorian of School. And all he could say was, Eh?


“I learned the strange art of loneliness, the weathered yearning that swells and passes, and swells and passes, when you walk a trail alone.” 

“I had once read, in one of those pre-plague books in the library, that love was bearing witness. That it was the act of watching someone's life, of simply being there to say: you're life is worth seeing.”

Review: XVI

XVI
by Julia Karr
Published January 6th, 2011 by Puffin/Speak


"Every girl gets one.
An XVI tattoo on the wrist--sixteen.

Some girls can't wait to be sixteen, to be legal. Nina is not one of them. Even though she has no choice in the matter, she knows that so long as her life continues as normal, everything will be okay.

Then, with one brutal strike, Nina's normal is shattered; and she discovers that nothing that she believed about her life is true. But there's one boy who can help--and he just may hold the key to her past.

But with the line between attraction and danger as thin as a whisper, one thing is for sure...

For Nina, turning sixteen promises to be anything but sweet"

Review 
To be honest, I had some misgivings at first about reading this book because it it's *ahem* "frisky" contents, but when I saw it at my library, I just had to give in and get it because the plot line was just too interesting for me to pass up! This novel gives an interesting take on the increasingly-popular dystopian trend (which, quite honestly, is kind of getting on my nerves...) The concept of an XVI tattoo branding anyone 16 and up as legal for sex is a very scary notion to comprehend, yet I feel like that our own society has had some part in inspiring the author. 

 This book was an okay-ish read for me---I enjoyed it, and loved the concept of the story, but let's just say that it didn't quite meet my expectations. I was really excited for this book and wanted so badly to really, really like it, but it just wasn't quite there. 

The Things I Liked:

• The Concept--I think the idea of a society like this is quite original compared to the other dystopians I've read. It was interesting and fresh and provided a startling glimpse into a dystopian future using elements of today's society.
• The Characters--There were some great characters in this book; my favorite ended up being Wei---each character is unique and even though there are quite a lot, you never forget one or confuse one with another
• The protagonist, Nina, was incredibly admirable in her beliefs, in how absolutely sure she was in what she wanted, and in the way she constantly took care of her sister. You've got to love a character that knows what she wants and doesn't compromise that for anything. Reading about her struggle defining the line that so thinly divides love and lust was fascinating and I think her struggle with the question "what does it mean to love someone?" is something we can all relate to in today's society.  

Things I Didn't Really Like

•  Character Development---For the most part, the characters seemed kind of flat to me--there was no particular depth, to them, not even to Nina; I feel like she matures and toughens up a little as she learns about the truth of her family, but for the most part, there is no major character development. Don't get me wrong, they were all well-defined and characterized, but I would've liked to see more depth
• On a side note, while I enjoyed the romance in the story between Nina and Sal, I also would've like to see more relationship development there. Yes, they met and fell in love, but it all seemed so fast and got unrealistically intense for the amount of interaction that they actually had

• Execution/plot---- As I said before, I really liked the concept of the story, what with the whole XVI and everything, but I felt like the execution was poor--There were quite a few questions for Nina to figure out, but the answers came way too easily. Also, the plot was kind of slow in the beginning.
• Another thing that bugged me was how the big deal about sex-teens and XVI (which the book was named for!) kind of took a back seat to the whole problem that is Ed, which was disappointing because I was really interested in the background info about XVI.

The really good news is that (yay!) there is going to be a sequel! In January! It might be surprising that I'm super excited for a sequel when I wasn't exactly crazy about this book , but I am! The whole idea of this dystopian society still fascinates me and I feel like this storyline has a lot of potential. The first book set things up wonderfully for a sequel, where I'm hoping I'll get answers for some of the questions Karr left hanging. From the reviews I've read from people who got advanced copies, the sequel sounds extremely promising and much better than the first book. :)

Overall, 3.5 stars

And now for some quotes....


“Religion seemed to me like one group of people telling another group that their color of red was the best. And that everyone had to believe that, or else.”


"I couldn't shake the impulse to help him. It seemed that the older I  got the more I believed that everyone, homeless or not, deserved to be treated at least like a human."


"A tiny part of me wanted to kick him, too, not because he was homeless, but because he was a judgmental asshole."

"That line between love and lust was thin as a whisper."


"I'm afraid to have a boyfriend. I don't know how to do that and not lose who I want to be. And I'm afraid of what it means to be close to a guy, a guy I might really like."
There it was: the truth.