There is no before. There is only now and what comes next

In a dystopian society where love is a disease, Lena soon discovers the secrets the government is hiding. She manages to escape her life in "prison" over into the "wild". But, the boy she fell deeply in love with, Alex, did not make it over the fence with her. Despite this difficult situation, Lena finds herself becoming part of the Invalid community, where the talks of a rebellion are quickly spreading. She is swept into the fight forward in order to create a world where love is not a crime. Lena is thrust into a situation where she must use her senses in order to survive. Will her ability and strength keep her alive, and is she beginning to fall in love again?
Pandemonieum by Lauren Oliver was a great sequel to her first, Delirium. I really enjoyed the fact that the entire book was not focused on Lena's love interest. It, like The Hunger Games, focuses on the government and the people who are defending "the cure". In a world where it is wrong to have strong emotions and love towards another human, Lena and her group are trying to take a stand against this. Love is never wrong, and this book shows two distinct sides: those for the norm and getting people cured for the better of society, and those for the revolution and being open to love and the pain and joy it may cause. Of course we are introduced to the extremists, the Scavengers. These are people who are extreme in their ways, violent, and not really for or against anything.
I found it extremely interesting when they spoke of the riots and the government's hold on the society. It hits home in quite a few ways: conservatives vs liberals and of course you have your extreme outliers. Certain government issues that are constantly rioted about, and those people who would give everything for change.
I felt that is the part I liked the most about this book. Of course, Lena's love for Alex and the constant guilt she carries with her about him is so romantic and tragic. Her feelings of giddy adolescent love are very sweet, so it's hard not to love that part of the novel. But in my opinion, the government issue is the main idea here. Love is the delirium that needs to be cured, but in a society where love is wrong, what can possibly be right? The fight gets more exciting with each turn of the page, and it is very interesting to see how Lena transforms from a naive teenager in book one to a strong young woman in book two.
I look forward to seeing her progress in the third, especially because it appears the dilemma I TOTALLY CALLED FROM THE BEGINNING will be very much a part of her life.
I recommend this series. Even though the love and romance is a heavy part of the series, it stands for a different cause. It's not fluff, but it is a quick read because you're not going to want to leave it.

Loving someone means knowing your life would be worse without them in it

Eve by Anna Carey begins in the year 2023. After a deadly virus has wiped out most of the earth's population, girls are sent to secluded schools in order to learn about boys and their evil intentions. The night before her graduation, Eve discovers what really happens to the girls who graduate.
She escapes from school unaware of what she might encounter. She comes across Caleb, a young boy who has been living in the wild. Being naive to the outside world, Eve has no choice but to trust him. Slowly, Eve realizes that what she's been taught may only be one sided, and Caleb begins to steal her heart. But, can Caleb's promise to keep her safe hold true when the king's guards are hunting for her?

Post apocalyptic young adult novels are my calling. I am always interested to see how different stories and catastrophes will unfold. This one was nice. The main character, Eve, is very naive and continues to show her insecurities throughout the novel. I feel the author did a great job with this. No one likes a wishy washy heroine, but who says that's the point? After being practically brainwashed by the schooling, discovering it's all a lie, what choice does she have? She is dropped into the unknown with only what she has learned in the past to keep her sane. Meeting Caleb, who by the way sounds extremely sexy, was not part of the plan. In fact, Eve is completely reluctant to even touch him because she was always taught men are evil. Readers cannot expect to be taking a journey with a strong, Katniss Everdeen type of girl.
This novel was a great read, and it was a different take on a new world. Women are held as slaves in order to rebirth the world, men are sent to different "schools" in order to learn their trades all due to the disease. It's nice to have different takes on the "end of the world." This one was really interesting. I recommend it. The main character is supposed to be weak, but throughout the novel we see her grow and gain more knowledge of what is true and the lies she's been fed.

I'm More Than Just A Piece of Their Games

So yes, I did read The Hunger Games a few years ago, but because I never posted, I am currently rereading all three books in the series, AND this huge movie craze came through, I figured I would throw my hat in the ring.

In a post apocalyptic world, there are 12 districts and one Capitol. In order to keep everyone in line, the Capitol puts together a yearly reaping where two young men and women are randomly selected from each district in order to participate in the Hunger Games. This game is a televised fight to the death where the winner receives fame and fortune, but needs to survive the twenty four tributes in an arena that is unpredictable.
After her sister, Prim, was selected, Katniss volunteers to go in her place. So, the two tributes find themselves on a fast paced train ride to the Capitol. Being from District 12, Katniss and Peeta don't seem to stand much chance against the wealthier districts of 1, 2, 3, and 4. However, with a little help from their survival instincts, clever plans of showing the world they won't go quietly, and their will to beat the odds, the Capitol may have a few surprises coming to them in this year's gauntlet.

I cannot express how amazing this series was! From start to finish I was breathless. After reading the third one, I needed to walk away from the series for a while because it was that emotionally exhausting. You become attached to the characters, and it becomes impossible to put the books down. Every adult I have talked with about these books says the same thing. I have yet to find someone who does not fall in love with these books.
The movie, surprisingly, was also amazing! Of course everyone has a different opinion, but I feel they were pretty spot on with the plot. They didn't leave huge holes out, although, of course, they left out many things. But the many things weren't as big as people would think. It was a well done movie and I cannot cannot CANNOT wait until the 2nd one comes out. I will be buying all of those movies on dvd on their release date, by the way.
The movie sparked my obsession with the series, so now I am rereading in order to suppress my annoyance that the second movie has yet to have a release date on it. Of course, the first one just came out, but still.
These books are a favorite of mine. Absolutely so well done. Read these books. Don't know of another way to say it.

<3 Team Peeta <3 Always forever, Peeta is my future husband. Deal with it.

one hundred days but still no sign...

Wither by Lauren DeStefano was an exceptional book. I have a past post about it, so I will not proceed to bore you with it's details. The sequel, Fever, has proven to be just as amazing as the first.  Trust me you're going to want to read Wither. It was one of the best books I read last year because it touched on subjects more mature than the typical teen read. Not to brag, but everyone I recommended the book to loved it. It's great if you're looking for something besides the typical "I'm a sixteen year old girl and my only worry is not having a boyfriend", or the upcoming end of the world craze.
If you have yet to read the first and you don't want me to ruin the end, then ignore this post and come back. Even a short summary can give away the ending to the first. Sorry in advance.
Rhine and Gabriel have escaped the mansion in hopes of finding Rhine's twin brother, Rowen, in Manhattan, but their troubles have not ended here. Upon arriving to shore, the two are whisked away into a world of fantasy. They are trapped in this carnival/brothel, and Rhine and Gabriel fear they need to find a way to escape before they become one of the side show acts. The carnival may bring it's own piece of horror, but Rhine's father in law, Vaughn, has not given up looking for his lost son's bride, and he will stop at nothing to bring her back.

Amazing read! This book is a great set up for the finale, which I cannot keep it together for! You can really see Rhine's love for Gabriel and her twin brother, Rowen. She is risking everything to be back with him, even after almost a year's time as passed since her capture, and this is the journey she and Gabriel take together. There are feelings of remorse, hatred, fear, and confusion, but the two are strong and balance each other, which I found really nice to see while reading this. It is always nice to have a balance in the two lead characters; even though Gabriel doesn't have a voice, I felt like I could tell what he was thinking because of how DeStefano made the character likeness.
Wither was a little better, in my opinion, because it was the essence of longing for freedom, captivity, secret romance, and the bond between sister wives. I feel like the 2nd to any trilogy isn't ever as good as the other two because there has to be that build up for the final one. Fever was a great read. It is leading up to a much anticipated 3rd book, so this is extremely exciting. :) It's been a while since a book has left me breathless, and I feel like this series has and by the end will leave me as exhausted as The Hunger Games did.

Truth Will Become Legend

The year: 2130 A.D. Two nations at war: The Republic and The Colonies. The Republic are those who are elite, wealthy, and obedient to the rules and regulation set forth by their leader. The Colonies fight for freedom, equality, and they fight against the Republic's censoring ways.

June was born into the elite group. She earned a perfect score on her Trial test, and she became known as the Republic's prodigy. When her brother is murdered by the most hunted criminal in the nation, June will stop at nothing to catch him and see to it he is executed.
Day survives on the streets unable to go back home. He is the modern day Robin Hood; stealing from the rich and giving to the poor. After his family's house has been marked by the dreaded red x implying there is evidence of the plague, Day attempts to steal vaccinations to save his brother.
When these two cross paths they realize that although they are from different worlds, they are both the same. The truths they discover will change their lives forever.

Legend by Marie Lu is a book describing a dystopic future. Two warring nations, that were once united, creating a world completely different than what we know. I really liked this book. It was so realistic that it became a scary reality. The characters represent the two extremes; the prodigy and the criminal. I felt it was a great representation of both worlds, but I have to say I really fell in love with the society she created. Certain events transpire which lead the reader to believe that this could happen in the distant future. Lu did such a great job with her representations of the nations because it is 100% believable.
It will be a trilogy, so it will be interesting to see how the war will play out, especially after the ending to this book. I highly recommend it. It is a perfect dystopic society book with a believable future.

An End to a Much Anticipated Trilogy

The Nightshade Trilogy has come to an end, to my dismay.
BloodRose by Andrea Cremer begins where the battle left off. Calla and Adne traveled back to Vail, where the rest of the Banes and Nightshades reside, in order to convince Ren, the former Bane Alpha (also the one Calla was originally promised to) to join their team.

In this story Calla is the reigning Alpha leading her pack and the rest of the Searcher troops into battle. Their goal is to help Shay achieve his destiny as the Scion (the holder of the sword and power to destroy the Keeper leader) and to bring peace back among all. Her love for Shay and Ren leaves her with a decision: should she remain loyal to what her pack had originally intended, or should she follow what lead her astray? How can the Scion and a Guardian ever be together?

A great ending to this story! I absolutely fell in love all over again with these books. I immediately added them all to my favorites on Shelfari because I could not stop reading them. The writing is wonderful, the story line's amazing, and the romance makes you wish guys like Shay and Ren actually existed.
The ending was unexpected, but it ended in a way that left the readers content. The expected twists and turns happen, but with a quarter of the book to spare, so I had to hold on anxiously awaiting the true ending and not my fairy tale.
Great series. I am sad to see it end, but it was done perfectly. Not too over the top, not too mushy, I think just the right mix to make everyone enjoy it. I feel like these books are great for adults, although young adults will fall in love too.

Don't think or judge; just listen

Happy New Year, all! I hope everyone's new year is turning out amazing. It's always nice to start over. Whether or not you keep the resolutions, the important thing is moving forward and looking towards the future, not the past.
Just Listen by Sarah Dessen was my last read of 2011. I had a rough 2011, beginning to end, but I was glad to have a Sarah Dessen book conclude the ridiculousness.
All of Dessen's books have a female lead. Depending on the book, the lead may be involved in a broken home, has a secret to hide, involved with the wrong crowd, but all her heroines are desperately trying to find themselves and find happiness within their world.

Annabel is a model. Well, that's what her mom wants. She and her older sisters, Kristen and Whitney, modeled at young ages. Kristen gave it up for college, and Whitney was consumed by it. She developed an eating disorder, and although she's recovering, the family still walks on eggshells around her. Annabel continues to model because she doesn't want her mother to fall apart again. Over the summer, she shot a commercial which portrays her as a role model for young women. The rest of the summer, she spent secluded, hollow, unable to face any of the past. All she knows is that Sophie, her once best friend, hates her because of an incident at a party before school ended. She can't face the past and is so caught up in being alone, she feels silence is her only friend. So she takes her usual seat at lunch by the wall; her only company is Owen, a guy who recently just got out of anger management classes for punching someone in the face. And he is always listening to his music.
After weeks of silence, Owen unplugged the headphones and started talking. Owen unravels a world of music and honesty, which she never expected. While spending lunch debating good, bad, and ugly music tastes, she develops a bond with him and herself. After years of holding things in and resisting, Annabel discovers that perhaps the voice she's been resisting was her own.

I always have a soft spot for Dessen books. They're great books for mature young ladies, and they are legitimate feel good books. They have happy endings, even if it's sort of expected, the young women are relatable, and the text flies by. The writing is very good, so an adult can enjoy it. I am glad I ended with this book because it is about finding yourself. I had a lot of self discovery moments over the past few months, and it was refreshing to know that no matter how deep or shallow the problem, you always get up, move on, and push forward.
Great book! I recommend any Dessen book to those thirteen year old girls who are in the beginning of their discovery phase, high school girls who have over nine thousand problems and feel they have no way out, and adults who are looking for a nice book to feel good about once they finish.