artsy musings of a bibliophile

review

Review: Not a Drop to Drink by Mindy McGinnis

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ABOUT THE BOOK

Not a Drop to Drink by Mindy McGinnis
young adult dystopia published by HarperCollins on 24 September 2013
first book in the Not a Drop to Drink companion duology

Regret was for people with nothing to defend, people who had no water. 
Lynn knows every threat to her pond: drought, a snowless winter, coyotes, and, most importantly, people looking for a drink. She makes sure anyone who comes near the pond leaves thirsty, or doesn’t leave at all.
Confident in her own abilities, Lynn has no use for the world beyond the nearby fields and forest. Having a life means dedicating it to survival, and the constant work of gathering wood and water. Having a pond requires the fortitude to protect it, something Mother taught her well during their quiet hours on the rooftop, rifles in hand.
But wisps of smoke on the horizon mean one thing: strangers. The mysterious footprints by the pond, nighttime threats, and gunshots make it all too clear Lynn has exactly what they want, and they won’t stop until they get it….
With evocative, spare language and incredible drama, danger, and romance, debut author Mindy McGinnis depicts one girl’s journey in a barren world not so different than our own.

THE RATING


THE REVIEW

We are living in the age where global water shortage is a very, very real possibility. As an environmental science student, I am aware of the numbers and they are nothing short of alarming. It is during these times I’m thankful about one thing that has been instilled in me since childhood: not to waste. That idea is only reinforced in Lynn’s world. It is not pretty, it is not exaggerated. Instead, it is a harsh truth and it will make you think. Even more so when in such a world, the first instinct is to kill any living creature on sight. The lines of humanity are blurred. Yet, it isn’t that simple. Not at all.

We all have measures of worth with which we regard the world, the people and their lives. But in the world Lynn lives, measures are not based on that. Not anymore. If you cannot bring yourself to protect what’s yours, you are as good as dead. It’s a dog-eat-dog world and a very unadulterated one at that.

Living in the basement of her home with her mother, Lynn has always followed a specific way of life. There is only one thing of the utmost importance: survival. They own a pond but it is an endless struggle just to get its water purified enough to drink. Cutting woods is another ordeal. But all of that is nothing when Lynn watches her Mother shoot anyone who’s close enough to drink from their pond. Lynn is indifferent because that’s the life she has always known. She doesn’t know right from left. She doesn’t know what a conscience is and for the time being, that is okay. Better even.

However, time demands many things from Lynn. Her shooting skills. Her watching skills. Her humanity. Life is a constant chip on her shoulder, something she has to look out for. There is no technology, there is no media and there is no electricity. The dangers are measured in the days that the smoke doesn’t billow to the south. Are they gone or are the coming for us? For our pond? These are the thoughts that occupy Lynn’s mind in a world where water is scarce.

Circumstances change and Lynn ends up in an unchartered territory where she learns humanity, conscience and compassion. One never thinks about these things unless someone gets hurt. But if Lynn can do it in a dog-eat-dog world, can’t we? Yes. But only if we stop to see, to think and to care. After all, we’re all trying to survive in all the different ways we can. Read Not a Drop to Drink and you’ll know what I’m talking about.

THE QUOTES

‘Why do you always quote poetry at me when all I want is a straight answer?’

‘I’m so sorry to be doing this last one alone,’ she said. ‘I’m sorry it’s yours.’ 

Review: Perfect Ruin by Lauren DeStefano

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ABOUT THE BOOK

Perfect Ruin by Lauren DeStefano
young adult science fiction published by Simon & Schuster on 1 October 2013
first book in the The Internment Chronicles series

On Internment, the floating island in the clouds where 15-year-old Morgan Stockhour lives, getting too close to the edge can lead to madness. Even though Morgan’s older brother, Lex, was a Jumper, Morgan vows never to end up like him. She tries her best not to mind that her life is orderly and boring, and if she ever wonders about the ground, and why it is forbidden, she takes solace in best friend Pen and her betrothed, Basil.

Then a murder, the first in a generation, rocks the city. With whispers swirling and fear on the wind, Morgan can no longer stop herself from investigating, especially when she meets Judas. He is the boy being blamed for the murder — betrothed to the victim — but Morgan is convinced of his innocence. Secrets lay at the heart of Internment, but nothing can prepare Morgan for what she will find — or who she will lose.

THE RATING

THE REVIEW

At a glance, Perfect Ruin seems to have it all; from the cover to the concept and the occasionally stellar writing. Yet I was left in a very conflicted state. Some characters in books ruin you while others just ruin the book for you (no pun intended). Perfect Ruin fit the latter category.

The people of Internment were banished from the earth by the God of the sky and forced to live in a floating island over the ground. Living in such a place, it is only inevitable that those without absolute faith risk questioning everything. Why are they all mated at birth? Why are there queues if you want to start a family? Why only the Furlows are royals? Questions Morgan would be better off not knowing the answers to.

But then Daphne Leander is murdered. Supposedly after she wrote a controversial essay on Intangible Gods; snippets of which start each chapter in the book. The essay fuels Morgan’s curiosity; taking over her tinted beliefs which she developed after Lex, her brother, jumped off the edge of Internment and almost died.

I get it. I get the desire to want to walk right over the edge of the world, to dream about disappearing into the unknown. But something is always stopping us. Whether it’s our conscience or the need to be normal. Morgan knows she has to be the saner child but when she encounters Judas, it’s like she has found her purpose in life. First, her passivity oozed from the pages and then her beliefs are stripped away fully in a shocking realization but she’s just… okay with it all.

‘Now, when I think I should be crying, all I can think of is the ground.’

It’s no wonder that I wanted to shake Morgan into oblivion after that. Her world is crumbling in front of her and all she can think about is running away still. Yes, she is selfish, flawed and unsure of herself but all of it is to the point that it makes me question if she really is that dumb. Unfathomable.

Basil, her betrothed, is clearly devoted to her while Pen, her best friend, is the complete opposite of Morgan. Her mother copes with her depression by cooking excessively for her children while, her father is burdened with his job as a patrolman. Lex, her brother, is too preoccupied with chasing his demons away by writing about them and Alice, his wife, has accepted to live life as Internment has chosen for her to live.

Despite all the eyebrow-raising questions and the history behind the island and the God of Internment, Perfect Ruin fell short. Catching all those glimpses of Daphne in her essay and reading about Judas’ closed off personality, I so wish that the book was written from her point of view. I really would have loved it then. I can’t help but think that Morgan is undeserving of the ending in the book. But hey, we can’t have everything now can we.

THE QUOTES

‘Time was our very first king. We all live our lives to the aggressive ticking of the clock. We don’t question that our lives are a grid of seconds; even our pulses oblige. No succeeding king can hope to hold this kind of power.’

‘People die, and everything they’ve ever said just echoes around and around. There’s nothing new. Only the same nonsense from their lives.’

Review: Parallel by Lauren Miller

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ABOUT THE BOOK

Parallel by Lauren Miller 
young adult contemporary science fiction published by HarperTeen on 14 May 2013

Abby Barnes had a plan. The Plan. She’d go to Northwestern, major in journalism, and land a job at a national newspaper, all before she turned twenty-two. But one tiny choice—taking a drama class her senior year of high school—changed all that. Now, on the eve of her eighteenth birthday, Abby is stuck on a Hollywood movie set, miles from where she wants to be, wishing she could rewind her life. The next morning, she’s in a dorm room at Yale, with no memory of how she got there. Overnight, it’s as if her past has been rewritten.

With the help of Caitlin, her science-savvy BFF, Abby discovers that this new reality is the result of a cosmic collision of parallel universes that has Abby living an alternate version of her life. And not only that: Abby’s life changes every time her parallel self makes a new choice. Meanwhile, her parallel is living out Abby’s senior year of high school and falling for someone Abby’s never even met.
As she struggles to navigate her ever-shifting existence, forced to live out the consequences of a path she didn’t choose, Abby must let go of the Plan and learn to focus on the present, without losing sight of who she is, the boy who might just be her soul mate, and the destiny that’s finally within reach.

THE RATING

THE REVIEW

Paths are never straight; the road always twists and turns making its way across the earth as it could best. That always bothered me. What’s the point of taking the longer all-the-way route when you can take a shorter, straighter one? Isn’t it upto us whether we choose to go around the mountain or make our way through it? In its own way, Parallel answered that question for me.

Abby Barnes is one of those people who’ve always been sure of what they want in life. Abby never strays far from her path, her life revolving around a single goal and she’s always working towards it. It is very difficult for a person like that to be controlled by someone else’s choices. That someone else who is you and not you at the same time. There’s nothing solid left in life. Not that she can see anyway at first.
It’s like the first time we find out that the universe is not limited to the Milky Way, that Abby learns about the multiverse theory. About the possibility that there is her parallel whose decisions are impacting her present a year and a day away. She has to come to terms with it and look at all her relationships in a different light. See herself in a different light. 
The relationship dynamics are done brilliantly. Abby and Caitlin are best friends who go through the best and worst of times together. They’re friends today but the past could change their friendship drastically and it does. Josh is aloof, swoonworthy and deep whereas Michael is cool, confident and also, swoonworthy.
Books with dual point-of-views provide a more insightful look with different perceptions of the same story. In Parallel, a new one comes up after a seemingly unimportant decision. But what parallel Abby or Abby does today can affect her path but never her destiny. This is what Parallel explores.
It is exciting and nerve-racking to see where would Abby find herself when she wakes up in the morning. Will it be Michael who she wants or Josh who her parallel wants. Life is unpredictable but Abby’s life is more so than usual. Parallel is beautifully intense and thought-provoking. I loved the elements of sci-fi thoroughly used in the book as a way of explanation. The way contemporary was mixed in with sci-fi makes Parallel a one of a kind book. I really wish this was a series. Alas, the ending was perfect so I wouldn’t want that to change.

THE QUOTES

‘The delicious, semiconscious, edge-of-wonderland kind of sleep, where I’m awake enough to control my dreams but asleep enough to forget that I’m doing it.’
‘That’s the funny thing about life. We’re rarely aware of the bullets we dodge. The just-misses. The almost-never-happeneds. We spend so much time worrying about how the future is going to play out and not nearly enough time admiring the precious perfection of the present.’

Review: Escape from Eden by Elisa Nader Blog Tour + Giveaway

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Escape from Eden | Elisa Nader | YA Mystery Thriller | Merit Press | 18 August 2013 | 272 (eBook)
ABOUT THE BOOK
Since the age of ten, Mia has lived under the iron fist of the fundamentalist preacher who lured her mother away to join his fanatical family of followers. In Edenton, a supposed “Garden of Eden” deep in the South American jungle, everyone follows the Reverend’s strict but arbitrary rules—even the mandate of whom they can marry. Now sixteen, Mia dreams of slipping away from the armed guards who keep the faithful in, and the curious out. When the rebellious and sexy Gabriel, a new boy, arrives with his family, Mia sees a chance to escape. 
But the scandalous secrets the two discover beyond the compound’s façade are more shocking than anything they ever imagined. While Gabriel has his own terrible secrets, he and Mia bond together, more than friends and freedom fighters. But is there time to think of each other as they race to stop the Reverend’s paranoid plan to free his flock from the corrupt world? Can two teenagers crush a criminal mastermind? And who will die in the fight to save the ones they love from a madman who’s only concerned about his own secrets?

THE RATING


THE REVIEW
Wow. I’m still reeling from the thrilling ride Escape from Eden turned out to be. Anticipation kept me glued to the book until the very end. I’ve always been fascinated with brainwashing practices, cults and conspiracy theories so I knew I wanted to read this book as soon as I read the words fundamentalist preacher. But what I didn’t know is how adrenaline packed, engrossing and action-filled Escape from Eden would turn out to be.

Escape from Eden is so much more than just a thriller mystery. It’s exhilarating and controversial to read about humans being brainwashed willingly in the name of faith. Taking advantage of their adversary when, in their minds, they’ve no one to turn to except God. On the surface, Edenton is believed to be a self-sustaining utopian community located somewhere in the South American jungles. The people in the community work hard all day to serve each other doing whatever they’re assigned to do silently. Shrouded in secrets, Edenton is far from perfect.

Mia works in the kitchen along with her peers. Tired of doing the same thing over and over, she secretly yearns to escape Edenton. Mia remembers life before Edenton and questions her mother on why it’s better to give up freedom and exist on the Reverend’s commands. She secretly writes and sketches in her journal in order to keep herself sane and escape the controlling environment of Edenton for a few moments every day.

Gabrielle is new to Edenton and his unflinching, defiant attitude has Mia intrigued. Running into trouble with the guards ever since his arrival, he notices Mia as well. He reveals the true purpose of Edenton and his plan of escaping to Mia who agrees to escape with him. But escape doesn’t come easily and soon both of them find themselves into the heart of the Reverend’s sickening plans for the unsuspecting community of Edenton.

Mia is such a headstrong, brave character who is willing to get to the bottom of every doubt she has. She has some pretty admirable qualities and I couldn’t help but be in awe of her. Gabriele is such a risque character. I honestly don’t have a better word to describe him. Always on the verge of uttering a quip, he has crashed and burned through life. Their relationship dynamic is portrayed brilliantly with sizzling moments, and disagreements in between.

Straight up violence, twisted preachings, illicit discoveries and damaging secrets, Escape from Eden is a truly compelling read which kept me on the edge throughout. Despite the underlying suspicions about the truth about Edenton, the story balanced perfectly between chilling, dark suspense to witty, evocative moments at every turn. I can’t recommend this unique and captivating debut by Elisa Nader enough.

THE QUOTES

“I noticed the swirls of a dark tattoo peeking beneath his sleeve. The lines were beautiful and mysterious. Some of the older people in Edenton had tattoos, reminders of a life left behind, but the kids who’d grown up in Edenton didn’t even have pierced ears, let alone something as exotic, and daring, as a tattoo.”

“What is the matter with you?”
“You want an alphabetical list?” 

Click the banner for the tour schedule.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Hi. I’m Elisa. I like cheese and reading and TV show marathons. Writing is scary, but not as scary as, say, Civil War amputations. I’m an Aquarius. Uh… let’s see… I’m not very good at writing my own biography. Or autobiography. I guess this is reading more like a slightly incoherent personal ad.

Elisa Nader can be found at


THE GIVEAWAY
Elisa Nader has offered so many awesome stuff in the giveaway and it’s international. Enter away!
a Rafflecopter giveaway


Thanks to Merit Press and YA Bound for providing me an eBook copy of Escape from Eden for review. 

Review: Wild Cards by Simone Elkeles

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Wild Cards | #1 | Simone Elkeles | YA Contemporary Romance | Walker | 1 October 2013 | 353 (eARC)
ABOUT THE BOOK
After getting kicked out of boarding school, bad boy Derek Fitzpatrick has no choice but to live with his ditzy stepmother while his military dad is deployed. Things quickly go from bad to worse when he finds out she plans to move them back to her childhood home in Illinois. Derek’s counting the days before he can be on his own, and the last thing he needs is to get involved with someone else’s family drama.
Ashtyn Parker knows one thing for certain–people you care about leave without a backward glance. A football scholarship would finally give her the chance to leave. So she pours everything into winning a state championship, until her boyfriend and star quarterback betrays them all by joining their rival team. Ashtyn needs a new game plan, but it requires trusting Derek—someone she barely knows, someone born to break the rules. Is she willing to put her heart on the line to try and win it all?

THE RATING

THE REVIEW
Ah, where do I start with this book? I had been crazy excited for Simone Elkeles brand new series because I loved her Perfect Chemistry and Leaving Paradise series. She’s basically on my auto-buy list and rightly so. I squealed with joy when I got approved for Wild Cards on NetGalley. All I knew abou Wild Cards is that it’s a sports book where the girl plays football and there’re going to be snarky dialogues and hot scenes. I was so sure I’d love it but alas.

Derek Fitzpatrick is a former football star player and a self-acclaimed bad boy who loves to pull off pranks. He has perfected his I-couldn’t-care-less attitude to a tee. Nothing gets under his skin. I was really surprised to see him as unfazed as he was when he got expelled. His priorities are definitely messed up. The guy is more concerned about the unruly backyard than he was of getting kicked out.

Ashtyn Parker is a newly elected football captain with a body that begs for attention and an attitude that bites. She’s equally tough and girly though I did like her tomboy side more than her insecure, crying-into-the-pillows side. Oh yes, the book is heavy on emotions. However, due to the uneven pace, I found it hard to fully connect with what was happening with the characters.

Stuck together due to unusual circumstances, Derek and Ashtyn feel instant love-hate attraction towards each other. While one is too blatant about it, the other does her best to hide it for fear of being laughed at. The hot makeout scenes are definitely intense and oh-so-good. All the drama due to miscommunication and witty dialogue exchanges are interesting to read about. However, because of the alternating viewpoints, the story lacked in build-up.

Wild Cards turned out to be an enjoyable read for me. Where it lacked in depth and emotion it made up for it with all the crazy attraction between the main characters. Some of the scenes are definitely swoon-worthy, I enjoyed the non-date-date scene a lot. Humorous at times, Wild Cards is a predictable book that one can finish in a few hours. I’d recommend it to readers of Simone Elkeles and anyone looking for a quick read.

THE QUOTES

“Just because you can deal with bullshit on your own doesn’t mean you should.” 

“I know he wants to fight for something. . . deep down he’s got a basic, intense desire to compete. It’s killing him that he’s ignoring his instincts and instead is determined to keep himself a ghost of who he can be.”