Cover Reveal: West

Hi guys! Today, I’m very excited to unveil the cover of West, which is out this April. West is the second book in the Campbell series by a Toronto-based author C.S. Starr. I read Campbell last year, when it first came out (check my review here). It was brutal, unapologetic, and surprisingly refreshing among the myriad of dystopian novels populating the market today, so my hopes and expectations are high for this next installment and I can’t wait to share it with you. Let’s see what the future brings us…

Have a great weekend!

West (Campbell #2)
C.S. Starr

Release Date: April 15, 2014

Book Description:
After her world was turned upside down by the death of her twin and a new alliance forged through an unexpected friendship, Lucy Campbell left West determined to return to her old life.

It took four years and a natural disaster for her to admit that was impossible.

Hatched from a lie devised to keep them both safe, the conflict with East has affected Lucy and Tal Bauman in different ways. It’s left Lucy engulfed in a bitter power struggle with her war-hungry brother. It’s forced Tal to align himself with Campbell, despite questioning their motivations in continuing to attack East, when peace seems attainable. He’s also left to sort out the mess left behind by his predecessor and best friend, Connor Wilde.

When they are reunited by a tragedy, Lucy and Tal are forced to question how far their duties stretch, where their loyalties lie, and how far they would go for one another.

They’re also left reevaluating their morals, values, and the futures of those around them.

West is the second book in the Campbell trilogy.

Goodreads

Book Review: Archetype

Archetype (Archetype #1)
M.D. Waters

Release Date: February 6, 2014

Book Description:
Introducing a breathtakingly inventive futuristic suspense novel about one woman who rebels against everything she is told to believe.

Emma wakes in a hospital, with no memory of what came before. Her husband, Declan, a powerful, seductive man, provides her with new memories, but her dreams contradict his stories, showing her a past life she can’t believe possible: memories of war, of a camp where girls are trained to be wives, of love for another man. Something inside her tells her not to speak of this, but she does not know why. She only knows she is at war with herself.

Suppressing those dreams during daylight hours, Emma lets Declan mold her into a happily married woman and begins to fall in love with him. But the day Noah stands before her, the line between her reality and dreams shatters.

In a future where women are a rare commodity, Emma fights for freedom but is held captive by the love of two men—one her husband, the other her worst enemy. If only she could remember which is which. . . .
The first novel in a two-part series, Archetype heralds the arrival of a truly memorable character—and the talented author who created her.

Amazon US | Goodreads

Review:
Digital copy provided by Penguin’s First to Read Program. This review is my honest opinion.

ar•che•type noun \ˈär-ki-ˌtīp\
: a perfect example of something

Sometimes the hardest books to review are the ones that you’ve enjoyed the most and this stunning debut novel by M.D. Waters is just that kind of a book. Archetype tells the story of Emma, when she wakes up in a hospital with no memories to guide her on and an uncanny voice inside her head warning not to trust her current reality.

Book Review: Campbell

Campbell
C.S. Starr

Release Date: November 8, 2013

Book Description:
It’s been ten years since a virus wiped out the adult population. Across the world, opportunistic kids worked to reestablish order through the creation of uneasy, fractured territories.

A decade later, the rules are changing.

Desperate to stop his western territory from coming apart at the seams, Connor Wilde sends his oldest confidante to negotiate with the leader of Campbell, a swelling northern empire.

Tal Bauman isn’t expecting her to be so impossible.

Or intriguing. Or beautiful.

He’s also not expecting their negotiations to leave them both fighting for survival in a part of the world neither are familiar with.

Spanning a dystopian North American landscape, Campbell is the story of two unlikely companions who find themselves reevaluating their loyalties, beliefs, and futures.

Amazon US | Goodreads

Review:

Digital review copy provided by author in exchange for fair and honest review.

Campbell is one of those books you don’t expect. I can’t say I loved it, yet I was glued to it. Gripping, unexpected and unapologetic it takes you on a complex and often harsh journey of learning and discovery that will leave you craving for more. It tells the story of the post-apocalyptic world where adult population has been wiped out by a virus ten years before. Told from the points of view of Lucy Campbell and Tal Bauman, with glimpses of past and present we slowly begin to uncover the new order of life and how it came to be...

Book Review: Allegiant

Allegiant (Divergent #3)
Veronica Roth

Release Date: October 22, 2013

Book Description:
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.

Amazon US | Goodreads

Review:
Mild spoilers ahead

It’s been over a month since release of Allegiant and I’m still trying to write a satisfactory review, it just seems like an impossible task. In fact my original draft review is ashamedly sitting waiting for me to look at it. It wasn’t good, or honest, or raw, it was more of a polite reaction to the end of what could’ve been one of the best YA dystopian trilogies. At this point, I think I really need to learn my lesson and not expect these trilogies to end well, they all simply underwhelm and disappoint [yes, I’m looking at you Matched and Delirium]. But don’t get me wrong, for all its faults I still believe Divergent series is one of the better ones out there and definitely worth reading.

“I am not all right. I was beginning to feel that I had finally found a place to stay, a place that was not so unstable or corrupt or controlling that I could actually belong there. You would think that I would have learned by now— such a place does not exist.” Allegiant (p. 276).

Book Review: The Transfer: A Divergent Story

The Transfer: A Divergent Story (Divergent #0.1)
Veronica Roth

Release Date:  September 3, 2013

Book Description:
More Four! Fans of the Divergent series by #1 New York Times bestselling author Veronica Roth will be thrilled by "The Transfer," the first of four new short stories told from Four’s perspective. Each brief story explores the world of the Divergent series through the eyes of the mysterious but charismatic Tobias Eaton, revealing previously unknown facets of his personality, backstory, and relationships.

Amazon US | Goodreads

Review:

I really enjoyed this opportunity to have a glance at the Divergent world once again, especially in anticipation of the final full novel release, Allegiant, which is hitting the shelves this October. The Transfer is the first of the four short stories, set in the Divergent universe and told from Four’s perspective. As Divergent fans know, Four is the love interest of the heroine in the books and have become not only a significant character but also quite the fan favorite.

Cover Reveal: Allegiant

I don’t know about you, but I am super excited for the cover reveal of the highly anticipated third book in the Divergent trilogy by Veronica Roth. Have you guys caught the reveal on the TODAY Show? If not, check it out here! And let me tell you Ryan Seacrest gets to interview Veronica about Allegiant!

“One choice will define you” – and I think in Veronica’s case, a choice to write this trilogy has certainly not only defined her but will continue to help her along for years to come!

I love the cover and absolutely can’t wait to get my hands on this book. Allegiant will be on sale October 22, 2013.

Allegiant (Divergent #3)
Veronica Roth

Release Date: October 22, 2013

Book Description:
One choice will define you.

What if your whole world was a lie?
What if a single revelation—like a single choice—changed everything?
What if love and loyalty made you do things you never expected?

The explosive conclusion to Veronica Roth’s #1 New York Times bestselling Divergent trilogy reveals the secrets of the dystopian world that has captivated millions of readers in Divergent and Insurgent.

Amazon US | Goodreads

Divergent Series:

Title Reveal: Allegiant (Divergent #3)

Allegiant (Divergent #3)
Veronica Roth

So guys… are you excited yet? Did you catch Veronica Roth’s video in USA Today where she finally reveals the title of the highly anticipated third book in the Divergent series?

Book Review: Requiem

Requiem (Delirium #3)

Lauren Oliver

Release Date: March 5, 2013

Book Description:

They have tried to squeeze us out, to stamp us into the past.

But we are still here.

And there are more of us every day.

Now an active member of the resistance, Lena has been transformed. The nascent rebellion that was under way in Pandemonium has ignited into an all-out revolution in Requiem, and Lena is at the center of the fight.

After rescuing Julian from a death sentence, Lena and her friends fled to the Wilds. But the Wilds are no longer a safe haven—pockets of rebellion have opened throughout the country, and the government cannot deny the existence of Invalids. Regulators now infiltrate the borderlands to stamp out the rebels, and as Lena navigates the increasingly dangerous terrain, her best friend, Hana, lives a safe, loveless life in Portland as the fiancée of the young mayor.

Maybe we are driven crazy by our feelings.

Maybe love is a disease, and we would be better off without it.

But we have chosen a different road.

And in the end, that is the point of escaping the cure: We are free to choose.

We are even free to choose the wrong thing.

Requiem is told from both Lena’s and Hana’s points of view. The two girls live side by side in a world that divides them until, at last, their stories converge.

Amazon US | Goodreads

Review:

As Delirium trilogy comes to a close, I find myself quite emotionally involved with these characters and their dystopian world that has been so masterfully crafted by Ms. Oliver. Truly, the beautifully lush writing alone would make me recommend these books, but there is also quite a lot to leave you pondering long after you have closed the book. Of course, you have the required elements of a YA romantic triangle, the struggle against the society that has fooled itself into believing perfection can be achieved by simply eradicating love, the thrill of suspense, action and sacrifice for the greater good, and much more.