The human race is all but extinct after a war with Partials--engineered organic beings identical to humans--has decimated the population. Reduced to only tens of thousands by RM, a weaponized virus to which only a fraction of humanity is immune, the survivors in North America have huddled together on Long Island while the Partials have mysteriously retreated. The threat of the Partials is still imminent, but, worse, no baby has been born immune to RM in more than a decade. Our time is running out.
Kira, a sixteen-year-old medic-in-training, is on the front lines of this battle, seeing RM ravage the community while mandatory pregnancy laws have pushed what's left of humanity to the brink of civil war, and she's not content to stand by and watch. But as she makes a desperate decision to save the last of her race, she will find that the survival of humans and Partials alike rests in her attempts to uncover the connections between them--connections that humanity has forgotten, or perhaps never even knew were there.
Dan Wells, acclaimed author of "I Am Not a Serial Killer," takes readers on a pulsepounding journey into a world where the very concept of what it means to be human is in question--one where our humanity is both our greatest liability and our only hope for survival.-Goodreads
Review
Partials have taken over the earth. Originally developed to fight wars they now rule, but they have an expiration date.
Humans haven't been able to keep babies born alive. Survivors are immune but newborns are not.
I really liked this book, but it took me awhile to get into it. I found the beginning a little slow and Kira annoyed me. I didn't like her "why haven't you done this" attitude as if she is the only smart person alive. However, after the first, roughly, 25% Kira and some allies set out to find a cure for the RM virus, and this is where the story became more interesting, fast paced and action filled. It was during this latter half of the novel that Kira started to develop as a character, and in turn grow on me.
Kira's boyfriend, Marcus, I'm still not sure about. One minute I'd like him, the next I didn't. He did have a few funny lines such as "well, thanks for not shooting anyone, I guess" said Marcus. "My contribution was to somehow refrain from peeing myself. You can thank me later." (p. 344).
Samm is a partial and he is Kira's test subject. He was a favourite character, I absolutely loved him.
I liked the world building in this. It was superb and feels believable. It adds to an interesting story. There is a surprise in the story (though I kind of guessed it) which adds a new angle. Despite the slow pace in the beginning, the last half definitely was better and made up for it. I can't wait to get into the second book, Fragments to see how this story progresses.
Dan Wells is a thriller and science fiction writer. Born in Utah, he spent his early years reading and writing. He is he author of the Partials series (Partials, with the second book coming early 2013) and John Cleaver series (I Am Not a Serial Killer, Mr. Monster, and I Don't Want To Kill You). He has been nominated for both the Hugo and the Campbell Award, and has won two Parsec Awards for his podcast Writing Excuses.
Gabriel Merrick plays with fire. Literally. Sometimes he can even control it. And sometimes he can't. Gabriel has always had his brothers to rely on, especially his twin, Nick. But when an arsonist starts wreaking havoc on their town, all the signs point to Gabriel. Only he's not doing it. And no one seems to believe him. Except a shy sophomore named Layne, a brainiac who dresses in turtlenecks and jeans and keeps him totally off balance. Because Layne has a few secrets of her own...
Review
No words can describe how much I love this series. Brigid is such a talented writer and every book just draws you in. Spark was no different. Storm, the first book in the series, is where we meet the Merrick brothers. Storm was Chris's story. Spark takes off right where Storm finished. The events in Storm has left everyone on edge, and something big is about to happen. If it is even possible, I loved Spark even more than Storm (and I'm loving Spirit even more again, but you'll hear about that tomorrow). I enjoyed Gabriel's character in Storm, and loved learning about him more in Spark. Gabriels element is fire, he can control it, call it, talk to it, and sometimes he can't. Gabriel is obnoxious and hot tempered, but in Spark we learn the reasons behind it, and start to understand him more. We are introduced to a new character, Layne, who is quiet and hides her own secrets. She isn't someone Gabriel would normally notice, but he starts to when he needs to borrow a pencil in class. The developing romance between them flows. It's not forced, it doesn't feel wrong, it just fits. You feel like they belong together, a bit like yin and yang.
Layne wanted to be brave. She wanted to be optimistic. But she started crying anyway. Nicks' hand went over hers. "Gabriel will find us. He'll get us out.""How?" she choked. "How do you know?""Because he always does."
Absolutely loved Hunter in this book, and the bromance between him and Gabriel was awesome. It was great to see them come together and work together. Especially when Gabriel and Nick seemed to be falling apart.
Hunter sighed and gave him a look. “Come on, baby, don't be like that. Did you pack your midol?” “All right, all right.” Gabriel climbed out of the car, slamming the door behind him. “I don't even know why I like you.”
Another action packed, and exciting addition to the Elemental series, that seems to be getting better and better as we go along.
Downtown Los Angeles is on the mend. An
alliance of revolutionary vampires and humans has freed blood slaves, wiped out
master vampires that ruled by fear, and is bringing the city back to life.
Kaleb Sainvire’s goals have been met, but he is
miserable.
In this third novel of the Julia Poe Vampire
Chronicles, Sainvire lures Julia Poe back from her early retirement on Catalina
Island to take on vampire threats from San Diego, San Francisco, and even
within his own ranks. Still shaken from a shot in the heart a year ago, Poe is
not ready to unite Downtown factions or face Sainvire again. However, she has
little choice in the matter and must wipe up the mess around her.
Celis T. Rono studied English and Sociology. She is a voracious reader of American Literature and is a movie buff. This is her first novel. She is currently working on the sequel to That Which Bites. Celis lives in downtown Los Angeles.
In the Community, there is no more pain or war. Implanted computer chips have wiped humanity clean of destructive emotions, and thoughts are replaced by a feed from the Link network.
When Zoe starts to malfunction (or “glitch”), she suddenly begins having her own thoughts, feelings, and identity. Any anomalies must be immediately reported and repaired, but Zoe has a secret so dark it will mean certain deactivation if she is caught: her glitches have given her uncontrollable telekinetic powers.
As Zoe struggles to control her abilities and stay hidden, she meets other glitchers including Max, who can disguise his appearance, and Adrien, who has visions of the future. Both boys introduce Zoe to feelings that are entirely new. Together, this growing band of glitchers must find a way to free themselves from the controlling hands of the Community before they’re caught and deactivated, or worse.
In this action-packed debut, Glitch begins an exciting new young adult trilogy.
Review
Glitch is set in a world where the atmosphere above ground is deadly and living underground is the only option. People are implanted with a chip that controls human emotion, effectively making them living breathing robots. Zoe is our protagonist and she has found herself 'glitching'. That is her connection to the Link (a network that the chip connects all people too) fails, letting her experience emotions and life for "real". Having grown up with the link connection, you can understand her naivety in the situations she gets caught up in. I liked Zoe as a character and found her to develop well considering the situations she was put in and that she couldn't let any one know she was glitching. Max is Zoe's friend, and I have no intention of giving any of the story away, so the only thing I can say about him is that I didn't like him. He was a well written character, who I believe you really aren't meant to like. The world building was well done, I had no problems picturing the situations and locations, nor the world that it was.
I made the mistake of holding out to write this review until after I have read Override so I could write and publish both around the same time. My lack of notes on this one isn't helping either. It is also difficult to discuss the story without giving anything away. So the only thing I can say is if you like dystopian based novels, give this a whirl. I enjoyed it, it well written, and the following book, Override, was even better. ;)
Source: eARC from Entangled Publishing via Netgalley
Description
Sarah O’Brien is alive because of the pact she and her brother made twelve years ago — James will protect her from their violent father if she promises to never leave him. For years, she’s watched James destroy his life to save hers. If all he asks for in return is her affection, she’ll give it freely.
Until, with a tiny kiss and a broken mind, he asks for more than she can give.
Sam Donavon has been James’ best friend — and the boy Sarah’s had a crush on — for as long as she can remember. As their forbidden relationship deepens, Sarah knows she’s in trouble. Quiet, serious Sam has decided he’s going to save her. Neither of them realizes James is far more unstable than her father ever was, or that he’s not about to let Sarah forget her half of the pact .
Review
This is hard for me to review, especially without giving anything away. This was an emotional read but due to the main topic of incest I don't think this will be for everyone. That said, this was well written and it was easy to empathise with Sarah. This was one of my favourite reads in 2012. It's one of those books that stay with you long after you finish reading it.
Sarah is naive, and fairly submissive. Considering how she was raised, you can understand her naivety and the decisions she made. Later in the story she does start to see things that are wrong, but what got frustrating was the fact she still went along with things even though she knew she shouldn't. For added frustration - she thought she deserved it. *sigh* Despite this, in a way, you can still empathise with her and understand why she thinks that way. Sarah goes through a lot of character growth in this book, although the bulk of her growth is towards the end and with huge consequences. Sarah's brother, James, was a character that was hard to like, or dislike. In a way I felt sorry for him, but at the same time felt he should know better. Again, his upbringing would play a part in his actions. James' best friend Sam, and Sarah's love interest, was everything you could ever want, especially someone in Sarah's situation. He is thoughtful, caring, understanding, and strong. I pretty much loved him, and his mum. This book took me on a roller-coaster ride of emotion. It is a beautifully constructed, well paced, heartbreaking story. If you like contemporary books with a realistic feel, give Flawed a read - I'm sure you'll love it. But be warned, this does not have the happy ever after ending you will be wishing for.
★★★★★
It Was Amazing
Thank you to Entangled Publishing and Netgalley for the eARC!
Kate Avelynn lives in Central Oregon with her husband, whom she fell in love with at eighteen after realizing he shared her obsession with music, sports, and psychoanalysis. When not devouring Stephanie Perkins and Jennifer Echols novels, holding down her editing gig, or attempting to coax life out of the weed patch she calls a “garden,” Kate writes dark, young adult romance that blends first love, betrayal, and danger. FLAWED is her debut novel.
Orphan Jack Templar has no memory of his parents and only the smallest details from his Aunt Sophie about how they died. The day before Jack's fourteenth birthday, things start to change for him. At first it's great: A sudden new strength helps him defend his nose-picking friend "T-Rex" from the school bully, and even his crush, Cindy Adams, takes notice. But then a mysterious girl named Eva arrives and tells him two facts that will change his life forever. First, that he's the descendent of a long line of monster hunters and he's destined to be in the family business. Second, that there's a truce between man and monster that children are off-limits...until their fourteenth birthday! Jack has only one day before hundreds of monsters will descend on his little town of Sunnyvale and try to kill him. As if that weren't enough, things get even more complicated when Jack discovers that the Lord of the Creach (as the monsters are collectively known) holds a personal grudge against him and will do anything to see that Jack has a slow and painful death. To stay alive and save his friends, Jack will have to battle werewolves, vampires, harpies, trolls, zombies and more. But perhaps the most dangerous thing he must face is the truth about his past. Why do the other hunters call him the last Templar? Why do they whisper that he may be the "One?" Why do the monsters want him dead so badly? Even as these questions plague him, he quickly discovers survival is his new full-time job and that in the world of monster hunters, nothing is really what it seems.
Author Bio
Jeff Gunhus grew up in Cyprus, Greece, and Saudi Arabia where there was a distinct lack of television. He quickly found books were the gateway to incredible adventures, fascinating characters and unbelievable discoveries. Now, with five children of his own (all who watch too much television, in his opinion), he has enjoyed revisiting his old books and reliving those adventures all over again.
Kirkus Reviews "Gunhus brings young readers a monster-filled romp to read at their own risk. In the first few pages, Jack, the storyteller and main character, warns readers not to read about these real-world monsters that would seem to only exist in fiction. The tone is set--sarcastic, tongue-in-cheek and likable; rooting for Jack is easy...Gunhus masterfully introduces fully realized characters with whom readers can connect almost instantly. The pacing is quick but not rushed, and events seamlessly progress, complete with action, cliff-hangers and surprise reveals. " Amazon Reviews Watch out Percy Jackson here comes Jack Templar Move over Harry Potter and Percy Jackson, there's a new kid in town - Jack Templar, and he will take you on a wonderful adventure of good vs evil, with friends and enemies at every turn. The twists and turns keep the reader on a roller coaster of entertainment in the way of JK Rowling and Rick Riordan. ~ Penny Brein Fast paced adventure through and through Written for middle school aged students, this book is action-packed from the beginning and will hold the attention of young readers. Not only that, as an adult reader, it was hard to put down, so parents will enjoy it as an easy read. ~ bluejellybean Kids will love it! Not only will kids love it, adults will too! I don't want to give the plot away but this is a book worth reading. This book is creatively written drawing in the reader to be a participant in the story. There is lots of action with enough blood and guts to be interesting without being gross. Girls will like it too with the strong female role models and the hint of romance. Even though this is a children's book, I couldn't put it down. I will definitely be adding this to my classroom library. I am looking forward to reading the book in this series and sharing it with my students. Awesome book! ~ pixiep
Yeah, you read it right. I’m a monster hunter. Back before I actually became one, I would have thought that sounded totally awesome. And don’t get me wrong, in a lot of ways it is. But most of the time, I’m either running for my life or hiding in the shadows, praying the monster chasing me doesn’t pick up my scent. And I’m almost always scared to death. In a few pages, I think you’ll see why.
But there are a few things I need to warn you about before I tell you my story.
First, this isn’t a cartoon. These are bloodthirsty creatures who will stop at nothing to kill. They are scary. Very scary. Second, the only way to stop them is to kill them first…and that gets gross and messy. Third, this is all real.
You think I’m kidding, don’t you? I can almost see you smirking as you read this. But this isn’t a joke. Monsters are real and the story I’m about to tell you really happened. If you’d rather walk through life believing that monsters are only found in books or on the movie screen, then you should shut this book right now and go do something else.
I give you these warnings because the story I’m about to tell you isn’t for everyone. Not everyone can handle it. The blood. The gore. The monsters.
This life was thrust onto me. I had no choice but to take up a sword and fight. But you can still walk away and pretend this dark world doesn’t exist. Or you can walk through the door that I’m about to open and find out the truth about the world around you.
But I warn you (and this is a big warning), if you read this book, if you learn about the monsters that roam among us and the hunters who fight them, if you decide to learn the truth, then you will become fair game for the monsters to chase.
Make sure you understand what I’m saying.
If you read this book, you will be part of this world and the monsters will come after you too. You will start to see things that no other humans can see. The shadows will move when you walk near them. The creatures of the night will seek you out, testing the doors and windows of your house, looking for a way in.
And, at some point, they will find you, just like they found me, and you will be forced to defend yourself.
So, think carefully before you turn the page, because once you do, there’s no turning back.
Ever.
Once a monster hunter, always a monster hunter.
See you on the other side.
If you’re brave enough.
Excerpt
Chapter
One
Although I was born to be a monster hunter, for most of my life I
didn’t know any more about it than you do right now. I mean, I knew about
monsters. Who doesn’t? There are monsters on TV, in the movies, books, comics,
you name it.
What
I didn’t know was that they are actually real and that dozens of them were
secretly living in my small town waiting for me to turn fourteen…so they could
kill me.
Yep,
you heard me right. And not only kill me, but there were elaborate plans on how
to do it in the most painful way possible. Fortunately, monsters tend not to be
very creative, so I’m pretty sure that all their ideas where just different
ways to eat me. But still, it’s the principle of the thing. I mean, what had I
ever done to them?
The
day before my birthday was when I got the answer to that question.
It
started like any other day. I woke up in a panic, realizing that I hadn’t done
my English homework. After this initial realization, I quickly moved from panic
into guilt, then right into acceptance, and then finally back to sleep. (Don’t
judge me. I know you do the same thing.)
And
that’s the best sleep, too. Right during the time when you have to get up. I
don’t know if it’s the same for you, but I dream a lot more during that sleep.
And, on some days, I can control my dreams a little. I clearly remember my
dream that morning. It was about Cindy Adams, the cutest girl in the whole
school.
Come
on! You can’t fake me out that you’re not into girls yet (or into guys if
you’re a girl awesome enough to be reading this book). So I don’t want any “ewww…that’s gross”
comments during the love story parts of this book. Don’t worry, there aren’t
that many. And some of them are super cool.
Anyway,
like I was saying, this dream was about Cindy Adams, the cutest girl in school.
In real life, the real Cindy Adams wouldn’t give me the time of day. But in my
dream, I walked right up to her, even though she was surrounded by a group of
her girlfriends, and took her by the hand.
“Come on,” I said. “We’re hanging out
together.”
She
smiled and nodded her head. Her friends stared as she held my hand and walked
away. More than just her friends, the whole school was watching. Cindy Adams
was holding my hand like she’d been my girlfriend for years.
Once
we were out of sight, I decided to try my luck. I stood in front of her, toe to
toe, and leaned in for a kiss. She blushed, but didn’t slap me, start laughing,
or run away screaming. (All possible scenarios in my mind.)
She
was going for the kiss. Leaning in. Eyes closed. Lips parted...to reveal a row
of jagged, pointed teeth in her mouth!
I
tried to step back, but she had me by the arms, her fingers digging into my
skin. When her eyes opened, they glowed red. She snarled at me, her teeth
growing longer, sticking out of her mouth. She pulled me to her to bite my
throat, when…
I
sat up straight in bed, yelling at the top of my lungs.
My
Aunt Sophie came running into my room.
“What
is it?” she said.
I
lowered my hands from my neck, realizing that it had just been a dream. I was
glad that no-one was trying to rip my throat out, but I was a little
disappointed that I’d only imagined the whole Cindy Adams thing.
“Uh,
nothing,” I said. “Girl problems.”
Giveaway
$50 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash + Swag
Ends 2/18/13
Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer http://iamareader.com and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.
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Title: In the Band
Author: Jean Haus
Date Published: October 19th 2012
Genre: New Adult
When family problems push Riley Middleton into giving up a percussion scholarship in another state and attending college from home, her friends push her to try out for a local rock band. Of course, Riley makes the band. She rules at the drums.
Riley soon finds out rock bands have a different dynamic than marching bands, especially when each of her male band mates has a major ego and is a major player. Two of them relentlessly flirt with her. The other—a dark, sexy rock god she can’t help being attracted to— is a total jerk and pushes her to quit. She becomes determined to ignore his rudeness and his hotness. Even if she was interested in jerks, a hook up would probably get her booted out of the ego-ridden band, and playing keeps her sane. Behind the drums, the world and her family’s troubles evaporate.
If she wants to stay in the band, Riley just has to ignore the growing sparks between her and her band enemy. But as she gets to know the man behind the stage persona, ignoring him proves to be more difficult than flowing through a time sig shift.
*New Adult/Mature YA for language and sexual situations.
Jean Haus lives in Michigan with her wonderful husband and son who, other than cooking, have taken over homemaking duties since she started writing more. When Jean isn’t writing, she’s usually reading. Anything from young adult to historical fiction as long as there is a bit a romance, she’ll load it on her Kindle. She loves to cook, and someday she will create the world’s best potsticker.
I
look up to find the guitar player standing in front of Marcus. He’s wearing a
dark t-shirt and jeans. Nothing that screams hot. But he somehow does with that
angle of hair across his face, the muscles noticeable under his shirt, and
those full lips. My heart rate matches the jerking rhythm of my nerves. The
guitarist nods toward me but his dark eyes stay on Marcus. “Sorry but your
girlfriend can’t stay.”Ah, bingo. He does think I’m a groupie. Marcus grins and pulls me closer until
the side of my face is smashed against the Pinterest
across his chest. “She’s trying out, not me.” An eyebrow arches. Otherwise, the angles
of his face remain stoic. “Then I guess you
need to leave.”“Come on,” Marcus says. “I know Justin.”His placid expression doesn’t change. “I
don’t give a shit if you’re his long lost brother.”Marcus’s lips form a tight line as the
guitar player stares him down. Luckily, the singer comes over and gives Marcus
a fist pump. “Dude, you trying out?” “I wish. But no.” He turns to me,
smiling wide. “Justin, this is Riley.”Justin looks me up and down. His gaze
pauses two seconds too long on my cleavage. “You play?”Marcus laughs. “She was supposed to play
at—” I nudge him in the ribs and nod. “Cool.” Justin grins and dimples groove
his cheeks. “We’ve never had anyone so hot audition before.” The guitar player’s eyes roll. “We’ve
never had a girl audition so who exactly are you referring to?” Justin’s dimples disappear as he scowls
at his band mate before looking back to me. “We’re waiting for at least one
more guy, but we’re going to start without him.” The guitar player nails me with a
narrowed look and crosses his arms over his plain t-shirt. “Why don’t you go
first, Riley?” His tone is smooth but I catch the undertone of sarcasm in his
voice. He doesn’t think I can play. Because I’m a girl?
