Mirror X by Karri Thompson ~ Blog Tour: Review & Giveaway

Welcome to my stop on the Mirror X Blog Tour hosted by YA Bound Book Tours. Click here to follow along with the full tour schedule. 

Title: Mirror X

Series: The Van Winkle Project #1 

Author: Karri Thompson   

Release Date: June 30th 2014

Publisher: Entangled Teen

Genre: Young Adult Dystopian

Source: Review copy

Purchase: Amazon | B&N | Kobo  

Cassie Dannacher wakes up in a hospital over 1,000 years into the future after her space capsule is retrieved from space. She soon learns that 600 years prior to her arrival, the earth was struck by a plague, killing over half of the world's population. Naive and desperate, Cassie, who longs for home and is having trouble adjusting to the new, dictatorial 31st century government, is comforted by Michael Bennett, the 20-year old lead geneticist at the hospital where she was revived. 

But why is Cassie in genetics' hospital in the first place, and why do several of the people around her seem so familiar, including Travel Carson, the hot and edgy boy she is fated to meet? Soon she discovers there is a sinister answer to all of her questions - and that they want something from Cassie that only she can give.  

What would happen to the human race if a plague killed over half of the world's population? None of the possibilities I've thought of before compare to what happens in Mirror X. I was surprised and even shocked at how creative this novel is in mixing light science fiction with a dystopian theme. I'm a little jealous, too, but the great news is, I got an awesome book to read.  

First of all, I must confess I'm never going to get tired of reading dystopian novels. I love how this genre jump starts my thinking about society, human nature, and social and political issues. Mirror X reminds me of 1984 with the heavy surveillance and monitoring of the citizens - in what I felt to be a nod to the classic novel, Cassie, the main character, mentions it when she finds out more about the society she's woken up in.  

When Cassie wakes up from her frozen state, it's the 31st century, over a thousand years after an accident that caused her to be brain dead. She finds out her grandfather had her cryogenically frozen in case future technology developed to regenerate brain function. 

I felt her intense frustration at waking up in a society vastly different from the one she lived in. I felt her loneliness at the realization she's the only one who has survived from her time - everyone she knew and loved have been long dead. I felt her longing for her family and her intense sadness knowing she would never see them again. I think I'd be angry, at least at first. 

Society has changed in many ways from the one she remembers. After a plague swept the planet and killed over half the population, the survivors rebuilt as best they could. But no one studies history any longer, space exploration has been abandoned, the phrase "life is precious" is constantly repeated, and everyone is expected to wear a bracelet that pretty much does everything, including allowing the government to track your every movement.

I don't want to tell you what it is the geneticists want from Cassie in case you don't already have an idea. In my opinion, it would give away too much of the shock value once you do find out. I will say that Mirror X had me thinking about the lengths people will go to in order to avoid death and how scary it would be if the human race died out. Some think death is the end of everything, others see it as one of many stages, and yet others believe it's only the beginning. 

Deep down, I think we all fear the end of our species. It's why we keep reproducing and doing our best to make the world a better place for our offspring. Mirror X is engaging, thought provoking, and relevant to the society we live in. Mirror X could very well end up being a novel listed as a choice to read in high school classrooms right alongside classics such as 1984 and Brave New World. 

My Rating

My debut YA novel, Amateur Angel, was released May 1, 2012. The next book in that series, Hollywood Angels, comes out September 1. The first book in my upcoming dystopian trilogy, The Van Winkle Chronicles, will be released by Entangled Publishing Summer 2014. 

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Going Down in Flames by Chris Cannon ~ Blog Tour: Review & Giveaway

Welcome to my stop on the Going Down in Flames Blog Tour hosted by YA Bound Book Tours. Click here to follow along with the tour schedule.

Title: Going Down in Flames

Author: Chris Cannon

Release Date: June 30th 2014

Publisher: Entangled Teen

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy 

Source: Review copy  

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If her love life is going down in flames, she might as well spark a revolution.

Finding out on your sixteenth birthday you're a shape-shifting dragon is tough to swallow. Being hauled off to an elite boarding school is enough to choke on.

Since Bryn is the only crossbreed at the Institute for Excellence, all eyes are on her, but it's a particular black dragon, Zavien, who catches her attention. 

Zavien is tired of the Council's rules. Segregated clans, being told who to love, and close-minded leaders make freedom of choice almost impossible. The new girl with the striped hair is a breath of fresh air, and with Bryn's help, they may be able to change the rules. 

At the Institute, old grudges, new crushes, and death threats are all part of a normal day for Bryn. She'll need to learn to control her dragon powers if she wants to make it through her first year at school. But even focusing on staying alive is difficult when you're falling for someone you can't have.

Bryn is a hybrid dragon - her mom is a Blue, her dad is a Red - who can breathe fire or ice. She's snarky, strong, and unwilling to back down from a challenge. Those qualities make her a kick ass heroine and just the right dragon to incite change in the archaic ways dragons have been forced to live for so long by their governing body, the Directorate.  

Bryn has a crush on Zavien, but I didn't. I think she was too quick to forgive him when he'd act like a first class jerk. She'd come close to crying, he'd apologize, and she'd forgive him right away. I'd stay mad for at least a day, especially when he confessed he was manipulating her emotions. Maybe I'd even stay angry at him for a week! I figured there had to be more to his story than what first appeared. 

I loved Mr. Stanton, the head of the Green dragons and Bryn's teacher for Elemental Science. He doesn't look at her the same way most do - he sees her as having potential to do amazing things. I could tell from their first meeting he would be a person of authority whom she could trust and confide in. He's one of my favorite characters. I also really liked Ivy and Clint, two black dragons who soon become friends with Bryn. It was nice to see she wouldn't be completely alone. 

Some of the remarks other students made were downright horrendous, especially the Blues. One blue dragon female told her her mother should've had an abortion. The Blues were the most hateful and treated her worse than the other groups did by far. Even some of the teachers treated Bryn terribly, like Mrs. Hanfelder, the history teacher. 

I knew history was going to be a problem class for Bryn since her parents are well known for running away as they did and not following the Directorate's rules. The first day of class, she tells the class crossbreeding can't produce a functional dragon. Obviously, she's not only spiteful but also dead wrong. She tells Bryn she's an abomination who should have been put down at birth. But then I was ecstatic when Bryn came back with, "Do all the teachers at this school attack their students? Or are you just a raving bitch?" I probably would've cried, but not Bryn. I love a heroine with a lot of spunk! 

Overall, Going Down in Flames is a book I loved - it's fun with a lot of humor and exciting with a lot of adventure. I loved Bryn to pieces - she's exactly the kind of lead female character YA books need. 

My Rating:

I love reading and writing snarky, kick-butt characters who take on the world and win. 

My truths: You can never have too many books, shoes, or purses. 

Coffee is the Elixir of Life.

There should be a National Nerf Bat Day where you are allowed to whack annoying people upside the head.

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Blog Tour ~ Perfected by Kate Jarvik Birch: Review & Giveaway

Welcome to my stop on the Perfected Blog Tour hosted by YA Bound Book Tours! Click here to follow along with the tour schedule.

Title: Perfected

Author: Kate Jarvik Birch 

Release date: July 1st 2014

Publisher: Entangled Teen

Genre: Young Adult Dystopian

Source: Review copy

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Perfection comes at a price.

As soon as the government passed legislation allowing humans to be genetically engineered and sold as pets, the rich and powerful rushed to own beautiful girls like Ella. Trained from birth to be graceful, demure, adn above all, perfect, these "family companions" enter their masters' homes prepared to live a life of idle luxury. 

Ella is happy with her new role as playmate for a congressman's bubbly young daughter, but she doesn't expect Penn, the congressman's handsome and rebellious son. He's the only person who sees beyond the perfect exterior to the girl within. Falling for him goes against every rule she knows...and the freedom she finds with him is intoxicating. 

But when Ella is kidnapped and thrust into the dark underworld lurking beneath her pampered life, she's faced with an unthinkable choice. Because the only thing more dangerous than staying with Penn's family is leaving...and if she's unsuccessful, she'll face a fate far worse than death.

For fans of Keira Cass's Selection series and Lauren DeStefano's Chemical Garden series, Perfected is a chilling look at what it means to be human, and a stunning celebration of the power of love to set us free, wrapped in a glamorous - and dangerous - bow.

Praise for Perfected:

"Compelling, imaginative, and unique. I couldn't turn the pages fast enough!"

~ Mary Lindsey, author of Shattered Souls

Perfection horrified me and captivated me at the same time. Reading about human beings bred and trained as pets was like a train wreck I couldn't look away from - you know it's wrong to look, but you can't stop yourself. My thoughts kept looping back to the same thing - I hope nothing like this ever ends up happening in real life! I'd reassure myself it could never happen just as something would happen in the story, making me worry all over again. 

I immediately felt these girls were viewed no differently from dogs. They're called "pets", come from a place called a kennel, are "bred", "trained" to be obedient, and aren't even given real names. They're given a number as a name until they're bought! I also thought about this arrangement basically being a new kind of slavery - these girls are bought and sold as though they're a piece of property. 

These girls are showpieces, living a life of luxury without hardships, at least that's what they've been taught during their training. They aren't expected to work, so the problems Ella soon faces are more emotional. She can't read, can't swim, has never been outside much, never been taught anything about kissing, never read fiction. So much has been denied her - even music. She listened to classical and opera but has missed out on so many other genres. Several times I wanted to cry for her. 

Ella wasn't prepared for the life she must now lead. The things she was taught during her "training" sometimes are the opposite of what her owners want from her. The Congressman was outright creepy. Ruby was just too young to understand how wrong this is. The Congressman's wife wasn't likable because she's not fond of Ella, but I can't blame her for her bitterness. She has a dolt for a husband. And she's none too happy about aging. How would you feel if you were fifty, and your husband brought home a sixteen-year-old he was obviously lusting after? You wouldn't be nice, that's for sure. 

Perfection gave me much to think about - what it means to be human, the consequences of technology, and the value of human life. There's sadness but also hope in this novel. I couldn't turn the pages fast enough - this novel caught me and wouldn't let go. And these are all the reasons I love reading - to think, to experience, and to feel. 

My Rating:

  

Kate Jarvik Birch is a visual artist, author, playwright, daydreamer, and professional procrastinator. As a child, she wanted to grow up to be either a unicorn or mermaid. Luckily, being a writer turned out to be just as magical. Her essays and short stories have been published in literary journals including Indiana Review and Saint Ann's Review. She lives in Salt Lake City, Utah with her husband and three kids. To learn more visit http://www.katejarvikbirch.com 

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MIRROR X by Karri Thompson Cover Reveal!

Today Karri Thompson and Entangled Teen are revealing the cover for MIRROR X, releasing in June 30,2014! Check out the gorgeous cover, exclusive excerpt, and enter to win an eARC!

On to the reveal!

Title: MIRROR X

Author: Karri Thompson

Publisher: Entangled Teen

Pub. Date: June 30, 2014

Find it: Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | iTunes

I was born more than a thousand years ago.

Put into a cryogenic tube at age seventeen, forgotten during a holocaust that decimated the world, I've finally been awakened to a more serene and peaceful future.

But things at the hospital are new and strange. And it’s starting to scare me.

Everyone is young. Everyone is banded and tracked. And everyone is keeping secrets. 

The cute geneticist Michael Bennett might be the only good thing in this crazy new world where “life is precious” but no one seems free to live it. The problem is, I don’t think he’s being totally honest with me, either.

When I’m told only I can save the human race from extinction, it’s clear my freeze didn’t avoid a dreadful fate. It only delayed the horror…

Exclusive Excerpt!

Michael took a seat on the edge of my bed, rocking me toward him. When the side of my thigh met his knee, my heart rate doubled, and I drew in a deep breath.

“Before you were awakened I spent hours at your bedside imaging what you were like, how your voice would sound, how you looked when you smiled. When your red lips pulsed, when your chest heaved, and you took your first breath, I kept my emotions in check. But now, now that you’ve ‘awakened,’ everything is different. I can’t sleep. I can’t stop thinking about you.”

I ignored the pain and tilted closer until the space between our faces was less than a foot. My heart, my mind, my soul—everything yearned for his affection at that moment. 

“I feel the same way, too.”

I closed my eyes, wanting this handsome, earnest guy to take me into his arms and tell me he’d make them let me go. My lungs expanded with his warm breath and spicy scent. When his lips met mine, every atom in my body danced, urging me to pull him closer and tighten my grip upon his back.

His kissing became more fiery and I reacted by kissing him harder. It wasn’t until his mouth moved to my neck, that I came to my senses and drew away.

“Not yet,” I said, scooting away.

“I know,” he said between breaths, rising from the bed. His wiped his forehead with the sleeve of his uniform and returned to the chair. “I can’t…we can’t. We can never…,” he said abruptly. “It’s against protocol. I-I should go.”

About Karri:

Karri’s debut YA novel, Amateur Angel, was released May 1, 2012. The next book in that series, Hollywood Angels, came out September 1, 2013. The first book in her upcoming dystopian trilogy, The Van Winkle Chronicles, will be released by Entangled Publishing Spring 2014.

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Giveaway Details:

1 eGalley of MIRROR X International

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Fragile Line by Brooklyn Skye ~ Blog Tour: Review & Giveaway!

Hey and welcome to my stop on the Fragile Line Blog Tour hosted by YA Bound Book Tours. Click here to follow along with the blog tour schedule. 

Fragile Line

by Brooklyn Skye

Release date: April 21st 2014

Imprint: Entangled Teen

Source: Review copy

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Synopsis

It can happen in a flash. One minute she's kissing her boyfriend, the next she's lost in the woods. Sixteen-year-old Ellie Cox is losing time. It started out small...forgetting a drive home or a conversation with a friend. But her blackouts are getting worse, more difficult to disguise as forgetfulness. When Ellie goes missing for three days, waking up in the apartment of a mysterious guy - a guy who is definitely not her boyfriend, her life starts to spiral out of control. 

Perched on the edge of insanity, with horrific memories of her childhood leaking in, Ellie struggles to put together the pieces of what she's lost - starting with the name haunting her, Gwen. Heartbreakingly beautiful, this poignant story follows one girl's harrowing journey to finding out who she really is.

When I began reading Fragile Line, I had forgotten what the synopsis said and think my enjoyment of the story was enhanced from not remembering. All I knew was that after how much I adored Stripped, I'll read anything, and I mean anything, by Brooklyn Skye. I'd read her grocery list if she let me. 

In Fragile Line we meet Ellie Cox who's beginning to lose more and more time with no memory of where it goes. I couldn't imagine how frustrating that would be. At first it's little things - she forgets to wait for her friend after school, for example - but it ends up becoming larger chunks of time, sometimes hours, even days. Instead of explaining to her family and friends what's happening to her, she makes up excuses about being tired and stressed from school. 

This story astounded me with how well written it is and how real Ellie's struggle felt. It felt so real to me. My heart broke for Ellie and everyone who cares about her. Brooklyn Skye is an incredibly talented writer and pulls you into Ellie's nightmare to where you can't stop reading. For anything. I read this book in one sitting and got zero sleep, but it was so worth it. There was no place I could stop because everything in me resisted the very idea.  

Seriously, if you haven't read Fragile Line, I advise you to grab a copy and start reading without taking a look at the synopsis. Just jump in with an open mind and don't look back until you've finished. This is an unforgettable novel of discovering who you are and reconciling your past with your present. My love for Fragile Line knows no bounds. 

My Rating:

About the Author

Brooklyn Skye grew up in a small town where she quickly realized writing was an escape from small town life. Really, she's just your average awkward girl who's obsessed with words. She writes young adult and new adult fiction. You can follow her on Twitter as @brooklyn__skye or visit her website for updates, teasers, giveaways, and more. www.brooklyn-skye.com

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