The Glass Arrow by Kristen Simmons

Publication: February 10, 2015

Publisher: Tor Teen

Source: Publisher

The Handmaid’s Tale meets Blood Red Road in Glass Arrow, the story of Aya, who lives with a small group of women on the run from the men who hunt them, men who want to auction off breeding rights to the highest bidder. In a world where females are scarce and are hunted, then bought and sold at market for their breeding rights, 15-year old Aya has learned how to hide. With a ragtag bunch of other women and girls, she has successfully avoided capture and eked out a nomadic but free existence in the mountains. But when Aya’s luck runs out and she’s caught by a group of businessmen on a hunting expedition, fighting to survive takes on a whole new meaning.

The Glass Arrow started off really well with Aya ( who lives in the woods with family) running from her hunters and trying to make sure her family is okay. In her attempt she is captured and held in a woman’s center to be sold and eventually bred. They are held like prisoners or caged animals with little to no regard for their thoughts or feelings. You can guess the amount of cattiness there is when there are a group of girls living together. And they end up not liking Aya too much. Not surprising considering that Aya seems to be one of the few people there who has an issue with women being sold as property to the highest bidder. She gets into a couple of little fights/arguments with one of the girls and as punishment she is held in solitary.

While she is held in solitary, she meets Kiran (Kiran is a Driver and is not in solitary with Aya) who seems to be a mute. She talks to him and tells him parts of her life.  She doesn’t know it yet, but Kiran will play a big part in Aya’s life.

I liked The Glass Arrow, but I wasn’t in love with it. Maybe it’s because I don’t read a lot of futuristic books, but I wasn’t hooked on it like I was hoping I would be. The world Kristen Simmons created is a unique, scary, and interesting one. I did really enjoy Aya and Kiran. I loved that Aya is a fighter, smart, and resilient. She never gave up and always tried to work her current situation to her advantage. She doesn’t have the most easy going personality, but I imagine it’s hard to trust anyone except those the closest to you when you live the majority of your life looking over your shoulder trying to avoid capture.  Kiran is a pretty strong character himself. He didn’t seem afraid to take risks, but he was smart about the choices he made. They worked well together. The romance between them  in the story was nicely done. It didn’t feel rushed and there was no insta-love thrown in.

RATING: 3 out of 5.

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Frozen (Heart of Dread #1) by Melissa De La Cruz, and Michael Johnston

Publication: September 17, 2013

Publisher: Putnam Juvenile

Source: Publisher

From New York Times bestselling author Melissa de la Cruz and Michael Johnston comes this remarkable first book in a spellbinding new series about the dawn of a new kind of magic. Welcome to New Vegas, a city once covered in bling, now blanketed in ice. Like much of the destroyed planet, the place knows only one temperature—freezing. But some things never change. The diamond in the ice desert is still a 24-hour hedonistic playground and nothing keeps the crowds away from the casino floors, never mind the rumors about sinister sorcery in its shadows. At the heart of this city is Natasha Kestal, a young blackjack dealer looking for a way out. Like many, she's heard of a mythical land simply called “the Blue.” They say it’s a paradise, where the sun still shines and the waters are turquoise. More importantly, it’s a place where Nat won’t be persecuted, even if her darkest secret comes to light. But passage to the Blue is treacherous, if not impossible, and her only shot is to bet on a ragtag crew of mercenaries led by a cocky runner named Ryan Wesson to take her there. Danger and deceit await on every corner, even as Nat and Wes find themselves inexorably drawn to each other. But can true love survive the lies? Fiery hearts collide in this fantastic tale of the evil men do and the awesome power within us all.

Imagine living in a frozen post apocalyptic land where you are hunted down like an animal because you are “marked.” That is pretty much what sixteen years old Natasha’s life is like. 

Hiding out in New Vegas as a dealer in casino, she is always thinking of surviving. She keeps hearing an inner voice telling her to travel to “The Blue”, which is a place that may or may not exist and if it does, the journey is extremely difficult.

This is where Wes enters the picture. Nat hires him and his crew to help her get there. There is a little romance between them. It doesn’t start immediately, but it is there.

There is a lot going on in Frozen. At times it felt like a little too much. This story doesn’t lack for entertainment though. The world building was pretty cool and all of the characters were interesting and I wanted to know more about them. I wasn’t sure what to really expect with this story, especially since I don’t read a lot of dystopian books that often, but this one was pretty fun. I am curious what will happen in book two, Stolen releases on November 18, 2014.

RATING: 3 out of 5.

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Prototype (Archetype #2) by M.D. Waters

Publication: July 24, 2014

Publisher: Dutton Adult

Source: Publisher

The stunning debut that began with Archetype— and has readers buzzing—concludes in Prototype, when a woman’s dual pasts lock onto a collision course, threatening her present and future. Emma looks forward to the day when she can let go of her past—both of them. After more than a year on the run, with clues to her parents’ whereabouts within her grasp, she may finally find a place to settle down. Start a new life. Maybe even create new memories with a new family. But the past rises to haunt her and to make sure there’s nowhere on the planet she can hide. Declan Burke wants his wife back, and with a little manipulation and a lot of reward money, he’s got the entire world on his side. Except for the one man she dreads confronting the most: Noah Tucker. Emma returns to face what she’s done but finds that the past isn’t the problem. It’s the present—and the future it represents. Noah has moved on and another woman is raising their daughter. In the shocking conclusion to M.D. Waters’s spectacular debut, Emma battles for her life and her freedom, tearing down walls and ripping off masks to reveal the truth. She’s decided to play their game and prove she isn’t the woman they thought she was. Even if it means she winds up dead. Or worse, reborn.

Prototype takes place a year and 4 months after Archetype ends. Emma finds herself now in Mexico searching for her parents who, several years ago disappeared after they escaped prison?  Her search is thwarted when Declan (Yes Declan is back and more determined than ever) sends a mass hologram message to every country with a story that Emma was kidnapped by the resistance and puts a huge price on her head. A price that would be hard for any man to resist. Which is what Declan is counting on.

Where does that lead? Well to Noah of course. But things are different know. Sonya has a bigger part in the story this time especially since she is helping Noah raise his and Emma’s daughter. I was never a big fan of Sonya, even from the beginning. There was more than one occasion were I wanted someone to slap her and put her in her place (That person being Emma of course).

I have to admit, that before things got crazy with Declan in the first book, I was hoping just a little bit that Declan would be the guy for Emma and he would turn out not to be so bad. But then came Noah. And he stole my heart and I pretty much fell in love with him just like Emma did. And I loved that we get more Emma and Noah time.

After surprisingly falling in love with Archetype, I couldn't want to get my hands on Prototype. It turned out to be every bit as good as I hoped it would be, if not better.  I was anxious to see what would unfold next for Emma, Noah, and yes even Declan. The story never really lets up. There was plenty of action, twists and turns, to keep me hooked. I devoured the book in no time. The only thing I am sad about is that the series isn’t a trilogy.

If you’re a fan of futuristic sci-fi action stories with a tough female heroine, then I would definitely recommend this book to you.

RATING: 5 out of 5.

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A Girl Called Fearless by Catherine Linka

Publication: May 6, 2014

Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin

Avie Reveare has the normal life of a privileged teen growing up in L.A., at least as normal as any girl’s life is these days. After a synthetic hormone in beef killed fifty million American women ten years ago, only young girls, old women, men, and boys are left to pick up the pieces. The death threat is past, but fathers still fear for their daughters’ safety, and the Paternalist Movement, begun to "protect" young women, is taking over the choices they make. Like all her friends, Avie still mourns the loss of her mother, but she’s also dreaming about college and love and what she’ll make of her life. When her dad "contracts" her to marry a rich, older man to raise money to save his struggling company, her life suddenly narrows to two choices: Be trapped in a marriage with a controlling politician, or run. Her lifelong friend, student revolutionary Yates, urges her to run to freedom across the border to Canada. As their friendship turns to passion, the decision to leave becomes harder and harder. Running away is incredibly dangerous, and it’s possible Avie will never see Yates again. But staying could mean death. From Catherine Linka comes this romantic, thought-provoking, and frighteningly real story, A Girl Called Fearless, about fighting for the most important things in life—freedom and love.

Taking place years from now in the future in Los Angeles, Avie Reveare  finds herself living in world where the voice of women, and their ability to make their own choices in life have been harshly taken away. It almost felt like the women were living in the 1950’s. Learning how to needle-point in high school, baking, and all the fun stuff that is supposed to make sure that when your father sells you off to your potential husband at the highest price they can, you will be an excellent mindless doormat wife. That seems like what these men are looking for, young women who will do whatever they are told and who can produce children for them.

Why would the world be okay with stripping women of their choices and making them objects instead of equals to men? I think if something like this were to really happen, an event this huge killing millions and millions of women, people would want to take drastic action in order to try and correct the problem. And this is pretty drastic. It doesn’t make complete sense, but in the world that Avie lives in, it’s her way of life.

Avie didn’t strike me as the strong heroine type during the beginning of the story. I wasn’t even sure if she had the guts to do anything.  But once her father sells her two someone in his 30’s when she isn’t even 18 yet, Avie really starts to contemplate her life and wonder if there is something she can do to escape. This is where the book began to take off for me.  When Avie started to stand up for herself and take matters into her own hands. There was more to this story than it appeared to be. There are secret politics brewing, lies, hidden truths, action, and even a little romance. I enjoyed it much more once the story picked up.

A Girl Called Fearless is one of those stories that pretty much never lets up. There is always some plot twist…something happening to keep the momentum of the story going. I wasn’t sold on everything that happened in the book, but I enjoyed enough of it to keep reading, and I am happy that I did.

RATING: 3½ out of 5.

**I received this book on behalf of the Publisher in exchange for nothing but my honest opinion. Thank you**

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Archetype by M.D. Waters

Publication: February 6, 2014

Publisher: Penguin/Dutton Adult

Introducing a breathtakingly inventive futuristic suspense novel about one woman who rebels against everything she is told to believe. Emma wakes in a hospital, with no memory of what came before. Her husband, Declan, a powerful, seductive man, provides her with new memories, but her dreams contradict his stories, showing her a past life she can’t believe possible: memories of war, of a camp where girls are trained to be wives, of love for another man. Something inside her tells her not to speak of this, but she does not know why. She only knows she is at war with herself. Suppressing those dreams during daylight hours, Emma lets Declan mold her into a happily married woman and begins to fall in love with him. But the day Noah stands before her, the line between her reality and dreams shatters. In a future where women are a rare commodity, Emma fights for freedom but is held captive by the love of two men—one her husband, the other her worst enemy. If only she could remember which is which. . . . The first novel in a two-part series, Archetype heralds the arrival of a truly memorable character—and the talented author who created her.

What can I say about Archetype? The premise sounded interesting when I first read it. I mean I thought that I would like it, but I was unprepared for how much I ended up enjoying it. Even when I put the book down to go about my day, I was still thinking about the story and its characters. I loved it.

Emma is a 26 year old woman who lives in a world were roughly a hundred years ago a war erupted. Women in the west are free to live their life whereas women who live in the east like Emma are few and far between. Women are only considered worth marrying if they are fertile and men are desperate to claim and manipulate them.

Emma is such a fighter. I loved that about her. She goes along with some things, but she does ask questions and she is relentless when it comes to finding out about her past and who she is.

Just when I thought I knew what was going on or what was about to happen, turned out I was wrong. I think that is the re-occurring theme in this book. Expect the unexpected. There were plenty of twists and turns to keep me on my toes. I don’t want to reveal too much, because this is a book where you will want to discover things for yourself.

Archetype is the very first futuristic science fiction suspense/thriller story-line that I have ever read. I am glad I decided to try something a little new and different. Everything flowed at a great pace. The flashbacks of Emma’s past and the goings-on of her present didn’t confuse me even a little bit and I enjoyed getting to know Emma’s life. Pieces were sprinkled in, little by little until I began to see the bigger picture.  And that ending? Left me wanting more…like now. Thankfully the second and last book in this series, Prototype releases July 24, 2014. Not too long of a wait.

Readers who enjoy Futuristic Sci-Fi Thrillers will like this one.

RATING: 5 out of 5.

**I received this book on behalf of the Publisher in exchange for nothing but my honest opinion. Thank you**

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Don’t Turn Around (PERSEFONE #1) by Michelle Gagnon

Publication: August 28, 2012

Publisher: HarperCollins

 

Synopsis:   Sixteen-year-old Noa has been a victim of the system ever since her parents died. Now living off the grid and trusting no one, she uses her hacking skills to stay anonymous and alone. But when she wakes up on a table in a warehouse with an IV in her arm and no memory of how she got there, Noa starts to wish she had someone on her side. Enter Peter Gregory. A rich kid and the leader of a hacker alliance, Peter needs people with Noa’s talents on his team. Especially after a shady corporation threatens his life in no uncertain terms. But what Noa and Peter don’t realize is that Noa holds the key to a terrible secret, and there are those who’d stop at nothing to silence her for good.

 

I thought that the story started off really well. Noa wakes up in what first appears to be a hospital, with no recollection of how she got there or why she doesn’t remember. The good news is that her memory is not completely wiped. Noa does know who she is and all the moments in her life previously, just not after she was taken.

Sick of being bounced around from foster home to foster home, Noa decided to put her hacking skills to good use by creating a sort of new life for herself where she live on her own.

Apparently not only is this girl a good hacker, but she can also kick butt and take names later. Noa can easily and quickly adapt to whatever situation she is put in. I liked her. She is a pretty tough cookie.

As for Peter, he is completely different from Noa; he is a rich teen, living the good life.

His problems begin after he discovers some suspicious information in his father’s desk. He tries to research what he found on his computer, but his efforts are thwarted when several mysterious guys storm into his home and take his laptop. His parents seem to have the answers, but they aren’t willing to give him the full scoop. He is warned that he is snooping into something that does not concern him.

He ends up meeting  Noa when he goes online to request help in decoding the information that he found.

Noa and Peter are two teens with their own set of problems. But it turns out that that they are both connected by the information Peter discovered. But how and why remains to be seen unless you read the book J

The story begins with a bang and doesn’t completely let up throughout the whole book. I was a little surprised. Oftentimes when a book begins strong it tends to lag in the middle, but I didn’t feel it did that with this one. I was highly entertained and never bored.

The ending left more questions than I would have liked, but there is a second book Don’t Look Now that was just released over the summer. Hopefully my questions will be answered in that one.

 

RATING: 4 out of 5.

 

 

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