Book Review | The Giver by Lois Lowry

The Giver by Lois Lowry
Published by Houghton Mifflin in 1993
Genres: Young Adult, Dystopian, Classic, Science Fiction, Fantasy
Pages: 225
Format: Paperback
Source: Purchased
Goodreads: ★★★★ ½

The Giver, the 1994 Newbery Medal winner, has become one of the most influential novels of our time. The haunting story centers on twelve-year-old Jonas, who lives in a seemingly ideal, if colorless, world of conformity and contentment. Not until he is given his life assignment as the Receiver of Memory does he begin to understand the dark, complex secrets behind his fragile community. Lois Lowry has written three companion novels to The Giver, including Gathering Blue, Messenger, and Son.

 REVIEW

Growing up I remember seeing the cover of The Giver hanging on the walls in Barnes & Noble. I used to think that it was an older classic, so I was surprised to learn that The Giver was, in fact, first published during my lifetime in 1993. While The Giver was never at the top of my "to read" list, I was compelled to purchase the book when I heard a film adaptation was being released. I was also excited to hear this is a dystopian novel, as that is one of my favorite genres. 

Besides knowing that one of the characters in the book was an old man called The Giver, I knew nothing about the story whatsoever. I enjoyed discovering the new world inside the pages as I read. One of my issues with the story, however, was the world building. The Giver takes place in a future that is quite different than ours, and Lowry slowly reveals the makeup of that fictional world. While I appreciated the gradual development of the setting, I found that as I finished the book I still had a number of questions about the world. Thus, I docked half a star from my rating due to the lack of detail surrounding the book's setting.

Putting that critique aside, I greatly enjoyed the remainder of The Giver. The story follows twelve-year-old Jonas as he receives his Assignment, or the job he is to perform for the rest of his life. Jonas lives in a world of Sameness, a concept that is discussed throughout the book, and one that I found quite thought-provoking. What first might seem as a happy, organized, and simplistic life may actually be a life devoid of true feeling. Jonas begins to understand the truth about his community after receiving his special job, and he must decide what he can do, if anything, to change the future for himself and his family. 

I finished The Giver in one day, not simply due to its short length, but to its fast-paced and flowing language. I constantly wanted to know what would happen next for Jonas, and I craved to discover the secrets of his community. The ending of this novel came upon me quite quickly, and is one filled with emotion and a bit ambiguous. I closed the cover thinking "what just happened?," which gave me some time to digest this deep and meaningful story. I now understand why The Giver is a loved book, and if you have not yet read it I highly recommend doing so. Please share your thoughts on The Giver in the comments! 

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Book Review | The Book of Ivy by Amy Engel

It's no secret at this point that I love young adult dystopian novels, so I was extremely excited when Entangled Teen contacted me and asked if I would review The Book of Ivy by Amy Engel. Despite my busy schedule, I agreed to review the book in time for the release. I'm so glad I accepted the offer!

The Book of Ivy is told through sixteen-year-old Ivy's point of view. As the story begins, Ivy is about to get married. But this wedding is unlike the ones we know today. Ivy's marriage, like nearly all marriages in her world, are arranged. She's destined to marry the president's son, as their families have been at odds with one another for two generations, and their union is a symbol of the president's power over the town her grandfather established. While many girls her age are excited for a life with their new husbands, Ivy is petrified. Not only will she be forced into intimacy with husband Bishop, but she's also been set the task of killing him.

Readers follow Ivy as her marriage begins, and as she gets to know Bishop. As it turns out, he may not be the evil monster her family told her he would be, and things may not go according to plan.

It's not often that I race through a book, but I read The Book of Ivy in just two sittings. It is fast-paced, easy-to-read, and quite compelling. It did not have a "typical dystopian" feel, and there was nothing cliche in the plot. I was really surprised with how unique the story was. In fact, despite the arranged marriages, the world Ivy lives in isn't too bad.

I also really loved the character development in this book. I never knew who could be trusted, and who was the real enemy. Ivy also struggled with this, and with the book told in her voice, it made for a mysterious read. Of course, the ending was fabulous! I cannot wait for the second book in the series to be released so I can find out how Ivy's story continues.

I gave The Book of Ivy a full 5 star rating on Goodreads, and highly recommend it. If you love dysoptians, this is a must read, but I also think that contemporary lovers will enjoy this book as well. The Book of Ivy hits bookstores today, and can be purchased on Amazon HERE. Let me know in the comments if you've read this book, and your thoughts!

This book was provided for my unbiased review. I use Amazon Affiliate links so you can find the books I mention easily. All opinions are my own. See my Disclosure Policy for more information. 

Book Review | Extraction by Stephanie Diaz

I absolutely love reading young adult dystopian books, so when I heard about Extraction by Stephanie Diaz I knew I had to add it to my list. It is the first in a new series, and was just released this past July. If you're looking for a dystopian pick with some unique science fiction elements, you'll definitely want to pick up Extraction!

Readers follow sixteen-year-old Clementine as she struggles to survive on the Surface. Because of pollution, the moon has started leaking a killer acid through the depleted ozone layer. Though scientists built a shield to keep the acid from killing the population, most people now live underground, with the Core being the desired place of residence. As the book begins, Clementine is about to take the Extraction testing. This test decides whether she will be chosen to live in the Core, or whether she will be killed at age twenty once she is no longer needed.

Clementine scores well on her test, and is given the opportunity to escape the Surface. But leaving means she will be ripped away from her best friend Logan, whom she will most likely never see again. Clementine hopes her new life in the Core will be a safe one, and that she might possess enough Promise (the score each citizen is given according to their physical and intellectual abilities) to impress the Core's commanders.

Overall, I really enjoyed Extraction, and gave it four out of five stars on Goodreads. The story is fast-paced, easy to read, and very adventurous. There were many twists and turns around the way, but they were logically written and Diaz drops subtle hints to carefully craft the story. I also really enjoyed the characters, and how I never knew who I could trust and who was a bad guy. My only critique was that there are many elements of Extraction that were very reminiscent of other dystopian novels I've read. I would have liked a bit more originality at some points, but for the most part the story is out of this world (pun intended).

While Extraction had a solid ending, I'm very much looking forward to the second book Rebellion which is scheduled to be released in February of 2015. If you love the young adult dystopian genre like I do, I highly recommend picking up this series. Extraction is available for purchase on Amazon HERE. You can also preorder Rebellion HERE to make sure you'll get the next book as soon as it's released! As always, please let me know your thoughts on Extraction in the comments below!

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I use Amazon Affiliate links so you can find the books I mention easily. All opinions are my own. See my Disclosure Policy for more information. 

Book Review | The Forever Song by Julie Kagawa (Blood of Eden Trilogy, Book 3)

WARNING: THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR BOTH THE IMMORTAL RULES AND THE ETERNITY CURE, THE FIRST TWO BOOKS IN THE BLOOD OF EDEN TRILOGY. PLEASE SEE MY NON-SPOILER REVIEWS HERE AND HERE.

Today I'm bringing you my non-spoiler review of the final book in the Blood of Eden Trilogy by Julie Kagawa, The Forever Song. If you have not read books one and two in the series, I do not recommend this review, but if you are debating whether or not to get the last book in the series, this is the perfect post for you!

With the crazy cliffhanger at the end of The Eternity Cure, I'm sure you wanted to pick up The Forever Song right away. In this book, we follow Allison, Jackal, and Kanin as they search for Sarren and try to stop him from completing whatever evil plan he's brewing. There are a lot of twists and turns along the way, and at times the characters are truly unpredictable. I loved how epic this book was, and read through it as quickly as possible.

That said, The Forever Song was a solid, four star book for me. One of the plot points greatly mimicked another popular dystopian book, and I felt like the ending itself was a bit rushed. I would have enjoyed a lengthier ending scene, but was overall happy with the series's conclusion.

This was my first time reading any books by Julie Kagawa, and I greatly enjoyed the experience! I would give the Blood of Eden trilogy a total rating of 4.5 stars, and definitely look forward to rereading it again in the future. This series has inspired me to pick up more paranormal books, and I definitely want to read more of Kagawa's works. I would also love a companion series to the Blood of Eden trilogy in Jackal's perspective! That would be awesome!

You can purchase The Forever Song on Amazon HERE. Please let me know in the comments if you've read the series! I would love to discuss it!

I use Amazon Affiliate links so you can find the books I mention easily. All opinions are my own. See my Disclosure Policy for more information.

Book Review | The Eternity Cure by Julie Kagawa (Blood of Eden Trilogy, Book 2)

WARNING: THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR THE FIRST BOOK IN THE BLOOD OF EDEN TRILOGY, THE IMMORTAL RULES. PLEASE SEE MY NON-SPOILER REVIEW OF THE IMMORTAL RULES HERE.

Today I'm continuing on with my reviews of the Blood of Eden Trilogy by Julie Kagawa with my thoughts on the second book in the series, The Eternity Cure. This review will remain spoiler free, but I only recommend reading this if you've read the first book in the series.

The Eternity Cure follows Allison after she leaves the humans in Eden. She is on the hunt for Kanin, as her blood tie is alerting her that something is wrong, and he may be nearby. But to Allison's surprise, her blood tie leads her to another vampire that she must befriend in order to help find her father and save him from whatever it is that is tormenting him. What follows is an exciting and adventurous journey that reads like a horror novel.

I know my summary is a bit vague, but I think it's best to go into The Eternity Cure not knowing much. The Eternity Cure is definitely my favorite book in the series! It's funny and dark at the same time, and the characters are awesome. My one criticism with The Eternity Cure is that there are a few inconsistencies in the story between this book and The Immortal Rules. These inconsistencies don't have an effect on the overall plot, but were quite noticeable to me when I read the books back to back. This is definitely an editing mistake, and it takes a bit of credibility away from the author when I can notice these holes in the story. Nonetheless, I rated The Eternity Cure a 4.5 stars out of 5 on Goodreads, and would have given it a full 5 stars had it not been for those inconsistencies.

If you've read The Immortal Rules and you are debating whether or not to continue on with the series, I think you really should! The Eternity Cure contains some background information to refresh the reader where the story is headed, so you don't need to worry about rereading the first book. You can purchase The Eternity Cure on Amazon HERE. Stay tuned for my review of the last book in the series, and, of course, let me know your thoughts in the comments!

I use Amazon Affiliate links so you can find the books I mention easily. All opinions are my own. See my Disclosure Policy for more information.

Book Review | The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa (Blood of Eden Trilogy, Book 1)

I've always been hesitant to read vampire books, especially in the young adult genre, since the Twilight phenomenon. Then I started hearing about the Blood of Eden Trilogy by Julie Kagawa. It's described as a mix of vampires and dystopia, so I had to give it a try. I read all three books in this series back-to-back, and will be reviewing each book for you. This first review will be spoiler free, so it's perfect for those of you who are looking to learn more about the first book in the series, The Immortal Rules.

This series follows our main character Allison Sekemoto. She lives in a vampire district as an unregistered citizen. This means she is not recognized by the government, and thus isn't given food or any means of survival. However, Allison does not want to register, because registered citizens must give their blood to the vampires who rule over the city. Allison hates everything about the vampires. Not only did they kill her mother, but they've forced her into a life of crime.

One day, Allison goes outside of the city walls to hunt for food. She discovers a hidden, storage cellar of canned goods, and encourages her friends to help her raid it. Unfortunately, when they go to get the food, they are attacked by rabids – dangerous creatures that are vampire mutants. Allison's friends are killed, and she is on the verge of death when a vampire appears out of nowhere. He gives her the opportunity to become a vampire, or to die. Despite her hatred for vampires, Allison makes the choice to become a vampire and live forever. The remainder of The Immortal Rules follows Allison as she learns what it means to be a vampire, and follows her as she discovers the world that exists beyond her city's walls.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Immortal Rules, and gave it a 4.5 out of 5 stars on Goodreads. While the beginning of the book is a bit of a "typical dystopian," once the world-building is completed, the story develops into something very unique. I love Kagawa's character development, and the vampire versus human element that runs throughout the plot. My only issues with the book were very minor. I found some parts of the story very predictable, and some parts a bit slow. Otherwise, I loved everything about The Immortal Rules, and was ready to pick up the second book in the series right away.

If you are looking for a new spin on the dystopian genre, I highly recommend The Immortal Rules. This is also a great series if you want to give the paranormal genre a try, but are unsure of how you feel about vampires. You can purchase The Immortal Rules on Amazon HERE. Make sure to stay tuned for my review of the second book in the series, The Eternity Cure!

I use Amazon Affiliate links so you can find the books I mention easily. All opinions are my own. See my Disclosure Policy for more information.

Book Review | Unwind by Neal Shusterman

I am so excited to tell you all about Unwind by Neal Shusterman. I've loved the dystopian genre since I read The Hunger Games trilogy back in 2012, so when I heard the concept behind this series, I knew I had to pick it up. I wasn't prepared for how amazing Unwind was going to be!

Unwind takes place in a future America where abortions are no longer legal. The pro-life and pro-choice armies compromised and created the Bill of Life, which says that at the age of thirteen, parents can choose to have their child unwound. If you are an unwind, you get sent to a harvest camp and 100% of your body is dismembered and used much like organ donation to help others. Thus, an unwind is never dead as all of his/her body lives on in others.

This disturbing yet fascinating plot is run by three main characters. Connor is your standard, every day teenager whose parents are getting rid of him. Risa is a ward of the state, given up at birth. Finally, Lev is a tithe, born for the sole purpose of being an Unwind. Readers follow these three teens as they run from their fate and try to survive until the age of eighteen, when they can no longer be unwound.

I absolutely loved this book. The writing is extremely captivating, and discusses issues that are at the forefront of American society today. Part of the reason this book was so amazing to me is because this is a dystopian society that is somewhat plausible. As someone who enjoys political philosophy, I appreciated Shusterman's confidence to write Unwind in an age where abortion is such a controversial topic. Plus, the story itself is like nothing I've ever read.

I highly recommend that you pick up Unwind especially if you enjoy young adult dystopians. I gave it a full 5 star rating on Goodreads, but would give it a 6 if I could! This is the first book in a series, with book four being released this fall. You can get Unwind on Amazon for around $5 HERE. I cannot wait to pick up the next book in the series!

I use Amazon Affiliate links so you can find all of the books I mention easily. All opinions are my own. See my Disclosure Policy for more information. 

Book Review | Branded by Abi Ketner & Missy Kalicicki

Today's book review is very exciting for me, as this is the first blog tour in which I've ever taken part! The authors of Branded, Abi Ketner and Missy Kalicicki, reached out to me and asked if I would review their book, and I decided to go for it. I'm so very glad I did!

While originally released in 2013, the authors revamped Branded to make the story even better. Branded is a young adult, dystopian novel, and the first in a new series entitled A Sinners Series. The book begins with protagonist Lexie Hamilton being snatched from her home in High Society and taken to The Hole. Ever since The Commander rose to power, all citizens who were accused of sin were brought to The Hole to live together in a giant, prison-like sector of society. Sinners immediately get branded around the neck with a tattoo representing what sin she has committed. Lexie's brand is blue, signifying lust. 

Lexie is given a personal guard, Cole, who must watch over her day and night. Those with blue brands don't usually last long, Cole informs Lexie, as they either die of disease or take their own lives. Lexie is given a job at The Hole's hospital, where she learns first hand the true horrors of The Hole – she finds her first patient dead, and others have a strange virus that the doctor can't cure.

As the story continues, we learn more about The Hole, and Lexie's life prior to being accused of sin. The story is told in first-person through Lexie's point of view, and is beautifully written. I raced through Branded quite quickly. I grew to love each and every character, including Cole's dog Zeus, and even shed several tears (okay, I broke down a bit), during some emotional scenes. Though Branded, like all dystopian novels, comments on the serious topic of humanity, it also has many lighthearted moments, and even made me laugh out loud at some points. And yes, there is a love story (and a really great one at that!).

I really enjoyed Branded and am giving it a 4.5 out of 5 stars on Goodreads. The ending was fabulous, and definitely got me excited for the next book in the series. The only reason I docked a half star was because the love scenes were just a bit too much for me, and I could have done without some of the details (if you know what I mean). Otherwise, Branded was a fabulous read! I would say more, but as always, I don't want to spoil you one bit. If you love a good dystopian novel, or are simply looking for an action-packed book, I highly recommend Branded. You can purchase the book on Amazon HERE (the Kindle version is just $2.99 if you're on a budget).

Have you read Branded?! Please share your thoughts in the comments!

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