Scarlet - Marissa Meyer

Scarlet by Marissa Meyer
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I'm still liking this series - it still has that unique feel to it, with the cyborgs and sci fi world barely recognizable as our own future. But this was a lot slower to get going than the first book. It was very much one of those build-up to the next book kind of installments.

I do like the addition of the new characters and thought the fairy tale tie-in was well done. I'm looking forward to seeing the results of all the build-up - and to finding out how in the world the next fairy tale fits the story that needs to happen.

Cinder - Marissa Meyer

Cinder by Marissa Meyer

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



Wow, Cinder might just be the most original fairytale retelling I’ve ever read. Translated into a dystopic future, with Cinder a cyborg mechanic, I am amazed at how well the tale was weaved into the story of a future world riddled with plague, prejudice against cyborgs, and earth-wide threat from a Lunar power. Getting all that to work with a Cinderella theme that includes all of the important bits - hats off to Meyer’s imagination. I’m impressed.

I do have to temper my ravings due to the bleakness that pervades the book. It’s something that often comes with a Dystopia, and it’s appropriate, but I still can’t ever bring myself to completely ‘enjoy’ something dark and hopeless feeling. So the rating is for my level of enjoyment while experiencing the book - and doesn’t match up to my brain’s appreciation of the cleverness and interest in the story that I still have in spite of the bleakness. That’s saying a lot. So is the fact that I want to move onto the sequel right away… I’m so glad I waited a while to pick this one up because of the cliffhanger ending. I only hope the sequel is as good.

Review: Poison Princess

 

Poison Princess by Kresley Cole
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Poison Princess is the first of a trilogy (update - the series ended up being many more books than three), with the last book coming out in January. It starts out with every YA Paranormal cliche in the book. 

Evie is a popular cheerleader with a football player boyfriend, trying to decide if she should sleep with him or lose him (the romance is definitely more on the mature end). She has a female best friend that she texts while watching their favorite tv show, and an overprotective mother. Enter mysterious bad boy on a motorbike who ends up being her reluctant partner in history, and the stage is set! 

Thankfully it doesn't continue this way. The paranormal aspect is that Evie has terrifying visions and has spent the summer in an institution being brainwashed and drugged out of them. She's trying to get back to her normal life, but now that she's home, the visions are getting worse. And, intriguingly, growing things seem to respond to her. 

 If you're about to turn away from this book based on the high school romance description, stop for a minute. The first hundred pages show this familiar scene, but this is not just a Paranormal Romance, it's a Dystopia. Everything changes in a flash. The beginning is there to show you what is lost when the apocalypse hits. The rest of the book is dark, violent, and full of confusion, desperation, and death. And yes, romance as well. 

 After the apocalypse, Evie remains soft and naive, and frustrating at times. She still fights the visions and doesn't want to learn what they show her. She can't take care of herself and doesn't really try to learn. However, she does start to change by the end. Romance is a big part of it, but although physical attraction is there from the start, it's more about the changing perceptions of two very different people, which I liked. And there is more to the story than that. Evie is trying to figure out what she is and what role she's supposed to play. It's clear from her visions that she has a role because of powers she doesn't understand, and that there are others like her out there, the Arcana. 

It's the search for answers and the dangers of the new world that drive the plot. I think if you can get through the highschool-ish start, this is a really good intro novel. It kept me reading until late at night. The idea of the Arcana is interesting, and Evie begins to grow a spine towards the end, finally exploring the strength of her powers. I'm looking forward to seeing what she becomes - hopefully a force to be reckoned with. It was just starting to really get going at the end, with enough of those answers and a nice cliffhanger to make me want to pick up the next book. My hope is that book 2 keeps ramping up the tension and action. We'll see what happens.

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Review: Divergent

Divergent by Veronica Roth

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



Divergent did not let up for a minute! It was action-packed, and actually had my heart going fast a few times - not a usual experience for me while reading. As a dystopia, it's not overly bleak, and is set in an interesting society. There are problems at both the personal and society levels, and plenty of growth happening for the main character, with changes in the forecast for the society as well. I really enjoyed it. I'm looking forward to picking up the next one.



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Review: Across the Universe (Across the Universe, #1)

Across the Universe by Beth Revis
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Across the Universe was quite different than what I expected. For some reason I was anticipating more of a space opera but it ended up being purely Dystopia. It takes place on a space ship, but other than that it is about a far future society that is completely contained within that ship.

It is an interesting view of what would happen on a 300 year voyage to colonize a planet, with the colonists all frozen while the caretakers and their descendants run the ship. It's impossible to anticipate all that might happen on such a long voyage, and something goes badly awry. Amy, unfrozen 50 years before her time, struggles to adjust to an unrecognizable, hostile society that has gone wrong, built on secrets and lies. She's stuck on a claustrophobic - and creepy - ship where she has no place and her appearance sparks chaos.

Although it's a fascinating story and I do want to continue on, it's a bit too bleak for my tastes. 3 stars.

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Review: A Million Suns (Across the Universe, #2)

A Million Suns by Beth Revis
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

As the second installment in a Dystopia, this was very well done. I can't say I liked it, but it was good.

A Million Suns offers a very realistic view of what happens to the society on board the Godspeed after liberation from its pacifying drug and dictator. It shows what happens without a good plan for replacing those controls on the people with something more constructive. As the members awaken, the society disintegrates and chaos ensues. It's a horrifying view of the baser side of humanity when unchecked by laws or ideals.

Although I understand the direction it took, I was still disappointed by the fact that none of the people on board exhibit any positive signs from their liberation. They give themselves over almost entirely to the instinct to rule themselves without regard for others. They are all still like animals, all dangerous, none with nobler instincts (aside from Elder, who was already in a different class). But in spite of the depressing realities, the tension, the secrets and mystery, made this a riveting read. I only wish there had been some lighter moments. I'm looking forward to the final book - but hoping there will be more humanity in the society that emerges.

When I finished, I wasn't sure how to rate this. Based on actual enjoyment it would only be 2 stars because it's more depressing and dark than I usually like. But it was really good, easily worth 4 stars if only I'd enjoyed it more. So 3 stars seems a decent compromise.

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