Fire & Flood (Fire & Flood #1) by Victoria Scott: Early review

RATING: 5/5

 

Author: Victoria Scott

Release date: February 25, 2014

Find it on Goodreads here!

SUMMARY(from Goodreads):

A modern day thrill ride, where a teen girl and her animal companion must participate in a breathtaking race to save her brother's life—and her own.

Tella Holloway is losing it. Her brother is sick, and when a dozen doctors can't determine what's wrong, her parents decide to move to Montana for the fresh air. She's lost her friends, her parents are driving her crazy, her brother is dying—and she's helpless to change anything.

Until she receives mysterious instructions on how to become a Contender in the Brimstone Bleed. It's an epic race across jungle, desert, ocean, and mountain that could win her the prize she desperately desires: the Cure for her brother's illness. But all the Contenders are after the Cure for people they love, and there's no guarantee that Tella (or any of them) will survive the race.

The jungle is terrifying, the clock is ticking, and Tella knows she can't trust the allies she makes. And one big question emerges: Why have so many fallen sick in the first place?

Disclaimer: I received a copy for early review. Thanks Scholastic!!

 
REVIEW:

 

Victoria Scott, you are a genius. A freaking genius.

When I first read the description, I immediately thought "Hunger Games". Which is true, there are a lot of similarities between the games, and there only being one victor.

But that is where the similarities stop. The contenders are allowed a companion in the game, called a Pandora (aka, the most awesome creatures ever invented). These Pandoras are genetically enhanced animals with super awesome powers; such as breathing fire, healing, etc. T absolutely made the whole book for me. It was so cool to see their powers unfold, and Tella's Pandora was absolutely adorable.

I want one. Very bad.

The characters were absolutely fabulous. Tella was a strong, flawed main character, who is very funny and awkward at the same time. I loved Harper, Caroline, Ransom, Levi, and Guy. Especially Guy.

Victoria Scott said once that she imagined Guy as Tyler Hoechlin, better known as Derek Hale from Teen Wolf.

And I could not agree more.

Yep. Couldn't agree more.

Uh...where was I? Oh, yeah, the book.

The story was crafted really well, and the writing was absolutely flawless. It also sticks with you for a very long time. I finished it 4 days ago, and I am still thinking about it.

Now I just want more. But the sequel probably won't be out for another year, and I will just have to wait in agony until it comes out. 

But, Scott's other book, THE COLLECTOR, is already out along with its sequel. Needless to say, I bought it as soon as I finished FIRE & FLOOD.

All in all, FIRE & FLOOD was a fabulous book. I loved every minute of it! And it comes out in February. That's really soon! Go preorder it. Right now. You will not regret it!

CONTENT: Kissing, moderate to heavy swearing, and some very disturbing and gory violence.



End of Year Book Survey 2013

This survey was created by Jamie at The Perpetual Page Turner to highlight the best books read in the year.

 

So let's get to it!

 

1. Best book you read in 2013? (If you have to cheat, you can break it down by genre if you want or 2013 release vs. backlist).

Dystopian: Never Fade by Alexandra Bracken:

 

Fantasy: Tie between the Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman, Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo, and Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas.

 

 

Science Fiction: The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey

 

 

Paranormal: Pivot Point by Kasie West

 

 

2. Book You Were Excited About & Thought You Were Going To Love More But Didn’t?

 

Definitely Icons by Margaret Stohl.

 

3. Most surprising (in a good way!) book of 2013?

 

Unraveling by Elizabeth Norris

 

 

4. Book you read in 2013 that you recommend to people the most in 2013?

 

The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken

 

 

5. Best series you discovered in 2013?

 

Angelfall by Susan Ee

 

 

6. Favorite new author you discovered in 2013?

 

Cristin Terrill with All Our Yesterdays

 

7. Best book that was out of your comfort zone or was a new genre for you?

 

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

 

8. Most thrilling, unputdownable book in 2013?

 

Scarlet by Marissa Meyer

 

 

9. Book you read in 2013 that you are most likely to re-read next year?

 

Let the Sky Fall by Shannon Messenger

 

10. Best cover of a book you read in 2013?

 

 

So creepalicious! I love it so much!

 

11. Most memorable character in 2013?

Roar from Under the Never Sky and Through the Ever Night by Veronica Rossi. I love him so much!

 

12. Most beautifully written book read in 2013?

 

Unravel Me by Tahereh Mafi

 

13. Book that had the greatest impact on you in 2013?

 

Unsouled by Neal Shusterman

 

14. Book you can't believe you waited until 2013 to read?

 

Angelfall by Susan Ee

 

15. Favorite passage/quote from a book you read in 2013?

 

Both are from The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken

 

 

 

(Cr: Tumblr)

 

16. Shortest and longest book you read in 2013?

 

Shortest: The Great Gatsby, 180 pages

Longest: The Host by Stephanie Meyer, 619 pages

 

17. Book That Had A Scene In It That Had You Reeling And Dying To Talk To Somebody About It? (a WTF moment, an epic revelation, a steamy kiss, etc. etc.) Be careful of spoilers!

 

 

That scene in Never Fade by Alexandra Bracken.... with Liam and Ruby...at the gas station...

 

18. Favorite relationship from a book you read in 2013? (be it romantic, friendship, etc.)

 

Romance: Day and June from Champion by Mare Lu

Friendship: Addie and Layla from Pivot Point by Kasie West

 

19. Favorite book you read in 2013 from an author you've read previously?

 

 Champion by Marie Lu

 

 

20. Best book in 2013 That You Read Based SOLELY On A Recommendation From Somebody Else?

 

Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead

 

 

21. Genre you read the most from in 2013?

 

Definitely fantasy

 

22. Newest fictional crush from a book you read in 2013?

 

Guy from Fire and Flood by Victoria Scott-who I imagine as Tyler Hoechlin. *swoon*

 

 

23. Best 2013 debut novel you read?

 

All Our Yesterdays by Cristin Terrill

 

24. Most vivid world/imagery in a book you read in 2013?

 

The Iron Traitor by Julie Kagawa. I love the world of the Fey so much!

 

25. Book That Was The Most Fun To Read in 2013?

 

Reboot by Amy Tintera. The dialogue between Callum and Wren was fantastic!

 

26. Book That Made You Cry Or Nearly Cry in 2013?

 

The Darkest Minds and Never Fade by Alexandra Bracken both made me bawl. Also, I cried at the end of Clockwork Princess.

27. Book You Read in 2013 That You Think Got Overlooked This Year Or When It Came Out?

In the After by Dimitria Lunetta. This book deserves more hype!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Happy New Year!

Wishing everyone and their families a safe and happy New Year!

Seasonal Reads Challenge #ReadingCram Day 4

Wow, guys. I have failed this read-a-thon. Not only have I not done any of the challenges, but I've only read 158 pages of A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin. In 4 days, only 158 pages. How sad is that?

 

I'm hoping to do some real cramming the next few days, but finals are next week....so, I don't know what will happen.

 

Anyways, lets get to the challenge.

 

THE SEASONAL CHALLENGE: 

 

A book good for a snowy day:

 

 

Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi

 

 

 A book good for a rainy day:

 

 

The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken

 

A book for a beach day:

 

Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

 

A book for a spooky night:

 

Unspoken by Sarah Rees Brennan

 

 

 

 



#ReadingCram Read-a-Thon kick-off!

Here is my tentative TBR pile for the challenge. It's a little ambitious, I know. I thought that since I quit playing basketball, I'd have more time to read; but taking college courses in high school has really put a damper on that. So I most likely will not get through all of these, but what the heck; I'm going to try!

 

• A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin
• The Dark Hills Divide by Patrick Carman
• Angelfall by Susan Ee
• Cold Spell by Jackson Pearce
• Unbreakable by Kami Garcia
• The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater
• Teardrop by Lauren Kate
• Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes



Allegiant (Divergent #3) by Veronica Roth: Review

 

 

Wow, it has been awhile. Here is a review of ALLEGIANT to make up for it!

 

 

 

RATING: 2/5

 

Author: Veronica Roth

Release date: October 22, 2013

Find it on Goodreads here!

 

SUMMARY:

 

The faction-based society that Tris Prior once believed in is shattered—fractured by violence and power struggles and scarred by loss and betrayal. So when offered a chance to explore the world past the limits she’s known, Tris is ready. Perhaps beyond the fence, she and Tobias will find a simple new life together, free from complicated lies, tangled loyalties, and painful memories.

But Tris’s new reality is even more alarming than the one she left behind. Old discoveries are quickly rendered meaningless. Explosive new truths change the hearts of those she loves. And once again, Tris must battle to comprehend the complexities of human nature—and of herself—while facing impossible choices about courage, allegiance, sacrifice, and love.

Told from a riveting dual perspective, Allegiant, by #1 New York Times best-selling author Veronica Roth, brings the Divergent series to a powerful conclusion while revealing the secrets of the dystopian world that has captivated millions of readers in Divergent and Insurgent.

 

REVIEW:

 

After reading this, I am not sad. At all. When I closed the book, I actually felt relieved.

 

RELIEVED I DIDN’T HAVE TO PUT UP WITH THIS BULLSHIT ANYMORE!

 

This next part will be filled with spoilers, so read on if you dare.

 

SPOILERS AHEAD. READ AT YOUR OWN RISK.

 

-

 

-

 

-

 

The first one hundred pages or so are great. It drew me back into the story, and I was so glad to be around the characters again, and I was so happy.

 

Then a rebel group in the factionless, called the "Allegiant", are making plans to go outside the fence, against Evelyn's wishes. Tris, Tobias, Christina, Tori, and Uriah all join the group and manage to get outside the fence.

 

Then Tori dies. And Veronica gives her like a few sentences.

 

I know, she wasn't the biggest character in the story, but I didn't feel like she had to die. She should've at least seen her brother before she died. But seriously, it didn't add or take anything away from the story, so it wasn't really necessary.

 

Erich dies too earlier on, but I really didn't care about him. Moving on.

 

Once outside the fence, they find a group of people living outside the fence called the Bureau. Then we, the reader, find out that everything that happened in first two books doesn't even matter. Chicago with the factions was a freaking experiment done by the government, and that the have done many more with all of the other big cities in the US. Why, you may ask? because normal people are "genetically damaged", and don't function very well. Whereas, the few that have healed genes, the "Divergent", are "genetically pure".

 

This is where the book starts to get stupid.

 

A few of the scientists asks Tris and Tobias if the can look at their genes, because Tris' seem so perfect and Tobias seems to be Divergent, but not completely Divergent. So they take some tests, and find that Tris' genes are completely healed, so she is still Divergent, and Tobias is not Divergent. His genes just have a defect in them to make him seem Divergent.

 

LIKE WHAT THE HELL???

 

 

 

Tobias is so upset that he is "genetically damaged", and Tris tries to reassure him, "Oh, sweetie, you're not damaged, you are exactly the same person I fell in love with, blah blah blah." But Tobias won't have it, no; he joins up a rebel group of the "genetically damaged" and goes on a mission to steal some death serum that the "genetically pure (GP)" are going to use to kill the "genetically damaged (GD)". And a bomb goes of in an attempt to get into the weapons lab, and ends up killing Uriah.

 

Yes, Uriah, the best character ever, dies. But not at first; he's in a coma for most of the book, but he never wakes up, so they shut off his machines at the end.

 

Then Tobias finds out that the explosions he set off possibly killed Uriah, and Tris gets all in his face like, “Why didn’t you listen to me? I was right, you were wrong, as usual.” And Tobias is in a pool of guilt for almost the rest of the book.

 

So many people say that Tobias has to put of with Tris, but I really think its Tris that has to put up with Tobias. I mean, Tris is almost always right. But does Tobias ever listen? You’d think that by the third book he would have learned by now.

 

Then we find out Amar, Tobias’ mentor or something when he was first an initiate, is gay, and in a relationship with Tori’s brother. I’m sorry, but all of these gay people popping up in YA books out of nowhere is getting annoying. I feel like they’re just putting it in there to put it there. There’s really no meaning behind it.

 

Now the real plan of the people outside the fence comes about: is erupting in violence, so they plan to use memory serum to erase everyone’s memory so all of the people can start over. Because that will solve all the problems; erase everyone’s memory so they can start over again for a while, then erupt in violence again in a few years, and then use the serum again to help them.

 

Then Tobias, Tris, and the rest of them formulate a plan to stop them, which I can’t remember all of the details of, but it involves Caleb going into the control room, through the death serum, to press a button that will release the memory serum in the compound, and Tobias and a bunch of other people going inside the fence to get Uriah’s family so they can say goodbye.

 

Now, I’m a little fuzzy on this next part, so if I get something wrong, I apologize.

 

Before they do their little plan, Tris and Tobias have sex. I think. But it is so metaphorical, I have no idea what happened. It was just…weird. I didn’t like it.

 

The people going inside the fence leave and Caleb is prepared to die to die as he goes through the death serum and presses the button to release the memory serum into the compound, but Tris doesn’t let him do it. She thinks because she’s resistant to some other serum, she is also resistant to the death serum and has a greater chance of surviving. So she goes in Caleb’s place. And she survives the death serum! Yay! So she goes into the control room, and is shot by David. Multiple times. And dies after she presses the button to release the memory serum.

 

Yep, you read that right. Tris dies. And it just pissed me off so much.

 

 

 

It was so unnecessary. Couldn’t she have released the memory serum and survived? Is that too much to ask?

 

Meanwhile, Tobias formed a plan of his own to erase either his mother’s or father’s memory so he can actually have a parent for once in his life. He chooses his mother, and he doesn’t even have to use the serum on her. She has a complete change of heart, and decides to be with him and negotiate a peace agreement with the city. And Tobias gives the memory serum to Peter, which he takes so he can become a better person, which is probably the best part of the book.

 

Then Tobias comes back to find that Tris has been shot by David and he falls apart. Tris is gone. While you were out getting your mom back, Tris died. But he gets over it a few years later, and goes down the zip line for the first time and lets her ashes go on the way down. And that’s the end.

I did not like so many things about this book. Tobias was whiny, Tris was stupid, and the ending just pissed me off even more. Why couldn’t they have just gotten their memories reset? They could work with that, and eventually be all happy and normal again. But no. Tris had to die.

 

-

 

-

 

-

 

END SPOILERS!

 

All in all, I did not like this book very much at all. You can start the series if you want to, the first two books were very good, but this one was such a letdown. But other people have loved it, so maybe it’s just me. Anyways, it’s your choice.

 

CONTENT: A very weird sex scene, not really described; other than that, everything is pretty much the same as the other books.

 

PS: I apologize for the bad grammar and possible run-on sentences. I just don't have it in me to correct it right now. 

Champion (Legend #3) by Marie Lu: Review

 

RATING: 5/5

 

 

Author: Marie Lu

Release date: November 5, 2013

Find it on Goodreads here!

 

SUMMARY (From Goodreads):

 

The explosive finale to Marie Lu’s New York Times bestselling LEGEND trilogy—perfect for fans of THE HUNGER GAMES and DIVERGENT!

He is a Legend.
She is a Prodigy.
Who will be Champion?

June and Day have sacrificed so much for the people of the Republic—and each other—and now their country is on the brink of a new existence. June is back in the good graces of the Republic, working within the government’s elite circles as Princeps Elect while Day has been assigned a high level military position. But neither could have predicted the circumstances that will reunite them once again. Just when a peace treaty is imminent, a plague outbreak causes panic in the Colonies, and war threatens the Republic’s border cities. This new strain of plague is deadlier than ever, and June is the only one who knows the key to her country’s defense. But saving the lives of thousands will mean asking the one she loves to give up everything he has. With heart-pounding action and suspense, Marie Lu’s bestselling trilogy draws to a stunning conclusion.

 

REVIEW:

 

This book was everything I hoped it to be and more. Oh, so perfect. This is the kind of ending every trilogy needs.

While some trilogy endings have disappointed me lately *cough* ALLEGIANT *cough*, CHAMPION totally surpassed my expectations. The ending to June and Day's story was exactly what I felt it needed to be. Not completely sunshine and rainbows, but not insanely tragic either. It was just perfect.

If you haven't started this trilogy yet, I highly recommend you do so now. You will not regret it!

CONTENT: Kissing, two characters have sex, but it isn't very detailed; swearing and violence is pretty much the same as the first two books.