Delirium by Lauren Oliver (Review)

 

Genre:	YA, Dystopia
Publication Date:	April 2, 2012
Pages:	441
Published By:	Harper Collins
Series	Delirium #1
Review copy:	Purchased

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In an alternate United States, love has been declared a dangerous disease, and the government forces everyone who reaches eighteen to have a procedure called the Cure. Living with her aunt, uncle, and cousins in Portland, Maine, Lena Haloway is very much looking forward to being cured and living a safe, predictable life. She watched love destroy her mother and isn't about to make the same mistake.

But with ninety-five days left until her treatment, Lena meets enigmatic Alex, a boy from the Wilds who lives under the government's radar. What will happen if they do the unthinkable and fall in love?

  The deadliest of all deadly things:  It kills you both when you have it and when you don't.

  And then i'm frightened.  That's how it starts.  Even if he is cured, even if he is safe   the fact is, I'm not safe, and this is how it starts.

  Gracie's life fell apart because of a single word: sympathizer.

  My world exploded because of a different word: suicide.

  Correction: That was the first time my world exploded.

  Take it from me: If you hear the past speaking to you, feel it tugging at your back and running its fingers up your spine, the best thing to do   the only thing   is run.

  Love: a single word, a wispy thing, a word no bigger or longer than an edge.  That's what it is: an edge; a razor.  It draws up through the center of your life, cutting everything in two.  Before and after.  The rest of the world falls away on either side.

  What a beautifully and wholly original read.  I can't believe that it sat on my shelves as long as it has because I enjoyed every last moment.  This book is so much more than a pretty cover with an intriguing synopsis and I loved every minute of it.  I think in a way I enjoyed this more because of the length of time I waited to read it.  The hype had died down and I had nothing but my own thoughts and opinions going in, giving me a better chance not to consider any possibilities of being let down.  There was so much to enjoy that I'm not honestly sure how I'm going to pack it into one review, but I will try.

  I think a part of me had expected the plot to go roughly like it did, but there was also a few really good surprises along the way.  It's more about the twist and turns and the gradual development for me than anything when it comes to plot in dystopia reads.  There is always a general expectation from the synopsis when opening the pages, but it's how the author executes it that matters.  There was a great original development of Lena, her world and why she was the way she was.  There was something about the consistent pace in the way things were set up that slowed and yet carried pace throughout the rest of the read.  My attention never wavered and  the picture only became more vivid, more movie like as I read on.  I guess you could say that the pacing was damn near perfect.

  Lena wasn't the rebel right from the start.  She wasn't the girl that questioned how things were done, or really looked at anything beyond what she was told.  Heck, she did everything in her power to be the model citizen because her family had carved a name that made her constantly have to worry.  I think that I didn't form a connection in the start but I did find myself understanding her.  In a world with so little control actually allowed to you and such swift and potentially deadly measures taken against those that may have 'the disease', I could understand her.  No one wants to live life being judged by their family and their actions, but more so no one wants to risk the little choice they have being taken away by questioning.  Though I will admit that something wonderful happened when Lena made the choice to question things.  Made the leap into not having a few choices picked out for her but seeing that there is a choice beyond everything she has been taught to believe is true.  Honestly, I think I could go on and on about Lena and her development but to cut it short, she had spectacular and clear development.

  I think with the synopsis it was fairly obvious that there would be some sort of romance.  Alex was both what I had expected and not.  When thinking about it he really was just what Lena needed to snap out of the haze that she lived in.  When thinking about it to write this, I can't say if actually adored him but I loved what he did for Lena and that it wasn't rushed.  That is what made the romance for me in this.  It wasn't rushed, it was paced really well making it almost perfect.  Of course it wasn't perfect because they live in a world where love is a disease and that isn't a thought that disappears overnight.  No, it took time to figure out if what Lena felt was a disease, or if it was something that was worth any loss.  This isn't something that happens overnight and Alex had to jump through a lot of hoops to even get Lena to take a chance, take a look past what had always been drilled into her.

  I embraced this story.  Each page, every word, every turn became more real and pulled me in that much more.  It's hard to say what exactly drew me in to start but I know by the end that between character development, and perfect pacing that I would be hooked.  This is one of those books that you sit and simply find yourself lost withing the pages, routing for characters to figure out a better way.  I know many people feel that dystopia novels have a pattern an expectation, and I guess all of the little things are there that are expected but there are some wonderfully original points throughout the read.  I know I am late to the punch in reading these books but I can say after reading just this one that I regret not picking them up sooner.  If you enjoy a good dystopia read I can recommend this one without a single hesitation.  Lauren Oliver has created an addiction for me with this one.

Queen by Aimee Carter (Review)

Genre:	YA, Dystopia
Publication Date:	November 24,, 2015
Pages:	282
Published By:	Harlequin Teen
Series	Blackcoat Rebellion #3
Review copy:	Purchased Hardcover

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PAWN...CAPTIVE...QUEEN?

  Kitty Doe is a Blackcoat rebel and a former captive with a deadly connection to the most powerful and dangerous man in the country, Prime Minister Daxton Hart. Forced to masquerade as Daxton's niece, Lila Hart, Kitty has helped the Blackcoats take back the prison known as Elsewhere. But Daxton has no intention of ceding his position of privilege—or letting Kitty expose his own masquerade. Not in these United States, where each person's rank means the difference between luxury and poverty, freedom and fear...and ultimately, between life and death.

  To defeat the corrupt government, Kitty must expose Daxton's secret. Securing evidence will put others in jeopardy, including the boy she's loved forever and an ally she barely trusts. For months, Kitty's survival has hinged on playing a part. Now she must discover who she truly wants to be, and whether the new world she and the rebels are striving to create has a place in it for her after all.

  But I wasn't a Hart, either, and I was barely a member of the Blackcoats as it was.  I didn't belong down here, but I also didn't belong in the manor.  And that was far scarier than anything Daxton could throw at me   the realization that no matter what rank I'd earned or whose face I wore, I had no idea where I really belonged.

It was up to us now.  All we had to do was find a way to kill the most powerful man in the country, and we would win this war for good.

  But while my mind whirled with the desire to kill, my body didn't want to die.  My feet remained frozen to the floor, my hands glued to my sides, and though everything inside me screamed to do something, to stop this before Benjy paid the price I should have   and would have   paid a thousand times over for him, I couldn't move.  I couldn't speak.

For her, death was freedom.  And a pardon from the life she would have had to live if she'd survived.

   I have really enjoyed this series.  The Black Coat Rebellion was an interesting and fun trilogy to read, filled with twists and turns in every chapter.  I had really invested myself in this trilogy and had put off reading the finally because I worried it wouldn't hold up to expectations.  Though it was still packed with the creative writing I have come to enjoy from Carter, I found myself let down when turning the last page.

  There was so much build up to this book, I was disappointed to find that Queen itself had very little to offer in independence from the previous two novels.  Though there was action and everything I wanted, it was often predictable and offered very little intrigue until about the last quarter or so of the book.  This also may be part of the pacing.  Pacing is something that I personally as a reader rely heavily on, and found myself drifting away more often than I would have liked.  However, when I reached that last stretch I really found myself pushing through and wanting to see the best possible outcome.

  I had always somewhat admired Kitty.  She has been a victim since day one, and tries to fight her fate in one way or another.  Along side this, she can be selfless and kind, often putting others before herself.  I think I expected her to really step up in this book, become the strong leader that was obviously begging to be let out.  However, despite a few revelations I was sad she never stepped up to become the girl I had hopes she would become.  She did however have some growth and gained some maturity, showing that she had learned with everything she went through.  Though a really well panned out character from start to finish, I just don't feel like she ever really made that last leap into independence.

  The romance and the friendships in this on may be what really drove me over the edge.  I found myself often groaning or wanting to scream.  I have always been able to appreciate and even respect a well done love triangle.  After finishing Queen I'm not even sure what I think.  Was it really a triangle?  Was it ever?  Did I miss something?  This could 100% be a me thing.  I was so sure that there wasn't one but everything changed with this one book.  I think that the possible switch up was done well, but left me stumbling because I just didn't expect it.

  I honestly don't know how to say what I want to say about this book and the conclusion to this trilogy.  There has been so many ups and downs, but Carter and her phenomenal way of weaving a tale kept bringing me back for more.  Though I found myself let down with this book, I do not regret this series and have them lined up with pride on a shelf.  I think that my feelings on this book will be an anomaly, and many people will find themselves enjoying it.  Though I felt a little empty after finishing this book, I recommend the trilogy as a whole and will as always purchase anything Aimee Carter puts out.

The Crown by Kiera Cass (Review)

Genre:	YA, Dystopia
Publication Date:	May 3, 2016
Pages:	279
Published By:	Harper Teen
Series	The Selection #5
Review copy:	Purchased

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Selection, she didn’t think she would fall in love with any of her thirty-five suitors. She spent the first few weeks of the competition counting down the days until she could send them all home. But as events at the palace force Eadlyn even further into the spotlight, she realizes that she might not be content remaining alone.

Eadlyn still isn’t sure she’ll find the fairytale ending her parents did twenty years ago. But sometimes the heart has a way of surprising you…and soon Eadlyn must make a choice that feels more impossible—and more important—than she ever imagined.

  No, this whole process made no sense, but I could see how it happened, how your heart could get swept up in the endeavor.  And that was my hope now: that somehow duty and love would overlap, and I'd find myself happy in the middle of it.

"If I'm going to be Queen one day, I need to win the people over."
  "And you think finding a husband is the way to accomplish that?"  Mom asked suspiciously.
  "Yes.  It's all about their perception of me.  They think I'm too masculine.  The most absolute way to refute that is to be a bride."

  I had felt it growing, this feeling that had been hiding beneath the surface for some time now.  I'd seen him, this person who never intended to be seen, and my faulty, silly, useless heart kept whispering his name.  I clutched my chest, feeling my heart racing.  "You treacherous, treacherous thing.  What have you done?"

  This series has been truly something, a series of up and downs.  The only book I didn't read right after the release was The Selection, and that was only to allow some of the hype to die down.  The Crown I just couldn't get my hands on quick enough.  Not for any other reason than this was the end, this was it.  No, I didn't want the series to end but honestly I did just want to know.  Especially after the mixed feelings that The Heir caused to ripple through me page after page.

  There is so much that you can't really say with this series without spoiling anything.  With all honesty I wish that there was more to this book.  Please don't get me wrong, I enjoyed it.  I enjoyed the way that it ended, but I wish that the journey to get there was a little more detailed.  Undoubtedly there was a lot that needed to be packed into this final instalment and so many expectations, but I wish that sometimes it had been a little more fleshed out.  There were times that it felt like I knew how it was ending, but wanted to savour it a little bit longer.

  The biggest thing for me (beyond the fact I was happy with how everything ended) was that, Eadlyn was truly redeemed.  She was almost a breaking point for me in the previous book and though I started to warm up to her, there was still room for so much to go wrong with her in this book.  However, she truly came into her own and became more than I could have every expected.  Once again because this is the last book I don't want to say too much but despite a few obvious choices, Eadlyn really did become a character that I enjoyed.  She learned through everything and took the steps that she needed to, not only for herself but for the people of her country as well.  She still does have some growing to do but she is for sure on the right path.

  When it comes to romance and the men of this book there is really not much to be said.  I think that some of their secrets that came out shocked me but beyond that it was fairly obvious who wasn't going to be in the final three.  This was probably the more predictable part of the book and I was okay with this.  In fact most people that have followed this series probably were.  The thing is Cass put a little twist in there.  Okay, I kind of expected it but still it did initially surprise me that it all wrapped up the way it did.  There was so much at stake for these guys and some made unexpected steps, while others went a way that no one could have expected.  Overall, I really enjoyed how everything turned out for each guy and the true colors that shone so brightly from each towards the end.

  The Crown was the end that I had hoped for.  Part of me wishes there was more, that we could see how the decisions that Eadlyn made played out.  This is one dystopia series that I feel complete by, which is no easy task.  It's hard to feel satisfied with the end, when often the end is only the beginning in dystopia novels.  I would have to say that overall Cass nailed it and I hope to be able to pick up more reads by her in the future.  If you haven't started this series, I would highly recommend it if you are a fan of dystopia and stunning covers!!