5 Heart Review: Day 21 by Kass Morgan

Day 21 (The Hundred #2)
Kass Morgan

Page Count: 311
Release Date: September 16th, 2014 (hardcover)
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers (Hachette Book Group)
Source: Complimentary copy provided by publicist in exchange for an honest and unbiased review (thank you, FSB Media!)
Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

They thought they were alone.

They were wrong.

It's been 21 days since the hundred landed on Earth. They're the only humans to set foot on the planet in centuries... or so they thought.

Facing an unknown enemy, Wells attempts to keep the group safe after a tragic attack. Clarke strikes out in search of other colonists, while Bellamy is determined to rescue his sister, no matter the cost. And back on the ship, Glass faces an unthinkable choice between the love of her life and life itself.

In this pulse-pounding sequel to the New York Times bestseller The 100, secrets are revealed, beliefs are challenged, and relationships are tested. The hundred will struggle to survive the only way they can—together.

Buy the book from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository | Books-a-Million | iTunes | Kobo | Google Play | Publisher

Review

Bellamy stared wide-eyed, as Clarke told him what she remembered about Mount Weather, how it was supposed to be a shelter for the U.S. government in times of crisis. "But my parents said that no one got there in time."
"Well, maybe they did," Bellamy said. "Could they have survived the Cataclysm here? By going underground?"
Clarke nodded. "And I have a feeling they never left. I think this is where the Earthborns live."

Day 21 picks up right where the distressing cliffhanger in The 100 left off, and the plot structure and narrative flow of the two books are almost identical. As with the first book, this sequel is told from the alternating third-person perspectives of Clarke, Wells, Bellamy, and Glass, and is a combination of present-day action and revealing snippets of backstory.

The biggest thing for me, personally, that has changed since I read the first book, is that I've since watched the CW television series. I just finished season 2 actually; it had me reeling for more, which is what inspired me to give the book series another try. Unfortunately, after having experienced the mastermind of the TV show, the books pale miserably in comparison. Not terrible by any means, as the journey of teenage delinquents determining the survivability of post-apocalyptic Earth is still a thrilling one, but just very, very weakly executed, when compared to the TV show.

In short, the TV show will have your jaw dropping and your heart racing at every scene; reading the books after watching the show will ruin everything for you. So I don't recommend the series if you've already seen the show.

For the most part, my quips with Day 21 are the exact same as they were in the book The 100, which I reviewed back in August: the characters are poorly developed and the writing style is highly unseasoned—it reads like a teenage fan-fiction novel that's meant to be super dramatic, but really isn't. In a purely literary sense, this series is a major disappointment. The concept of exploring Earth for the first time in over a century is amazing, but its presentation is just really lacking in Morgan's writing.

Day 21 presents the novel situation of dealing with Earthborns, or the "natives" of Earth that never left the ground during the Cataclysm (aka the nuclear disaster that sent Clarke's, Wells's, Bellamy's, and Glass's ancestors up to space as refuge in the first place). In the eyes of the Earthborns, Clarke and the other hundred aren't just foreigners from the sky... they're invaders. The mutual distrust between the two populations lead to the book's main conflicts, which are written to be shocking and suspense-ridden, but are actually just really drawn out and don't lead anywhere (unlike in the television series, where the action and suspense are immediate). While Day 21 does expose readers to darker themes, I feel like these twists and turns had the potential to be very powerful, but Morgan's mediocre writing dulls the majority of the impact of any serious or "life-changing" implications.

Add this to the fact that the characters are all equally generic and unlikable, and all the romantic relationships are incredibly shallow, and we've got ourselves a dud with Day 21. Insignificant and gratuitous romance plot lines are among my biggest book pet peeves, and they were at their mildest and most improbable in this second installment of the The 100 series, which only intensified my dissatisfaction with it further.

Pros

A consistent continuation of the first book; in style, structure, and content, the two are very similar // Plot picks up right where it left off in The 100 // New thrilling plot twists and revelations // Darker themes than the first book and more opportunity for adventure given

Cons

Most of the "shocking" revelations and plot twists are predictable, and not that potent // None of the romantic relationships seem realistic or at all complex; there are four ongoing in this book, if you count the Wells-Clarke-Bellamy "love triangle" and they're all lackluster // Most of the weaknesses in this book are identical to those in the first book, including annoying flashback scenes, constant, confusing narrative shifts, and very unimpressive writing style (read my review for that here) // Simply not as good as the TV series. Skip the books, just tune in to the CW!

Love

Bellamy shrugged. "I don't really know how to live any other way. I've always been taking care of her. It's like... we aren't born for ourselves alone. You have to take care of other people."

Verdict

While I acknowledged all the literary and stylistic shortcomings of the first book in The 100 series, I still ate it up because I was so impressed by the dystopian world-building and the dynamic plot line involving teenage delinquents exploring uncharted territory. That was before I started watching the TV show, though, and now that I have, coming back to the book series has been a cringe-filled bore. Kass Morgan really had her head in the right place when she created this entertaining YA sci-fi series, but unfortunately for her, the TV show just did a better job of bringing it to life. Day 21, the second book in series, has proven that the storyline just needed a fresh interpretation (and perhaps, a cinematic touch!) to really achieve something. My opinions are obviously completely biased due to having watched the TV show, but that doesn't stop me from recommending it wholeheartedly; on the other hand, the book series is agonizingly bland in comparison. 

5 hearts: Doesn't particularly light any of my fires; I feel indifferent about this book (x)

7 Heart Review: The 100 by Kass Morgan

The 100 (The Hundred #1)
Kass Morgan

Page Count: 323
Release Date: March 18th 2014 (CW tie-in release)
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers (Hachette Book Group)
Source: Complimentary copy provided by publicist in exchange for an honest and unbiased review (thank you, FSB Media!)
Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

No one has set foot on Earth in centuries—until now.

Ever since a devastating nuclear war, humanity has lived on spaceships far above Earth's radioactive surface. Now, one hundred juvenile delinquents—considered expendable by society—are being sent on a dangerous mission: to recolonize the planet. It could be their second chance at life... or it could be a suicide mission.

Clarke was arrested for treason, though she's haunted by the memory of what she really did. Wells, the chancellor's son, came to Earth for the girl he loves—but will she ever forgive him? Reckless Bellamy fought his way onto the transport pod to protect his sister, the other half of the only pair of siblings in the universe. And Glass managed to escape back onto the ship, only to find that life there is just as dangerous as she feared it would be on Earth.

Confronted with a savage land and haunted by secrets from their pasts, the hundred must fight to survive. They were never meant to be heroes, but they may be mankind's last hope.

Buy the book from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository | Books-A-Million | iTunes | Kobo | Google Play | Publisher

Review

"At least we know you'll be able to hold your own with the other delinquents when you get there."
"Get where?" Clarke grunted, trying to free herself from the guard's grip.
"We're clearing out the detention center today. A hundred lucky criminals are getting the chance to make history." The corners of his mouth twitched into a smirk. "You're going to Earth."

Having interviewed Kass Morgan at my blog last year and given the success of the CW series based on the books, I was plenty eager to give The 100 a try. While I haven't read a staggering amount of YA dystopian, the books in the genre that I have tried (e.g. classics like The Giver and the Uglies series), I absolutely loved; given my background, my initial impressions of the premise were highly anticipatory.

The book is told from four different teenagers' perspectives—Clarke, Wells, Bellamy, and Glass. All narratives aside from Glass's are told in a concurrent timeline, through the eyes of the delinquents who have been forced to settle on Earth for the first time in centuries. While Glass's story, which takes place back on the mothership, was initially the least interesting, it eventually pans out to serve as an anchor—a tie to the surviving, but still unstable lifestyle back in space.

Kass Morgan creates a vivid high-tech world in The 100, where citizens are divided by social standing and resources are limited—of course, except to the upperclass. Back on Earth, the prospects are obviously grim, but it's still a thrill of a journey to follow Clarke, Wells, Bellamy, and the other 97, as they each rediscover a planet that they've only read about in books, yet have such a deep internal connection with. I appreciate the idea of providing different points of view, but think it was slightly too ambitious for the author to try to squeeze a Lord of the Flies-esque conflict AND a love triangle AND an undercurrent of radiation's aftereffects (say what?) into everything. It's all interesting until it just becomes too much; I'd have much preferred one central conflict with stronger relationship-building and more background insight.

While there is no one thing fatally wrong with any of the characters, all four of them are too generic, too idealized. Everyone loves having attractive/smart/clever characters to read about, but they all start to blend together when the author tries to make them all perfect, especially since everyone thinks in close third person. The unrealistic and unextraordinary characterization prevented me from developing any sort of attachment to any of them. The only one that seemed remotely human and believable was Bellamy, our resident rebel. But then again I've always been a sucker for bad boys with a past...

That said, the story itself is filled with drama and tension between the main characters (and secondary characters!) which makes The 100 exciting to read. The sheer nature of the resettlement of our planet is enthralling; Morgan does well with engaging readers to the surprises and twists scattered throughout the novel. There's definitely lots of action-filled scenes and, love it or hate, an INTENSE cliffhanger ending, that just leaves you thirsty for more.

Structurally, I found The 100 quite hard to work with. The constantly changing perspectives get a bit disorienting because it's not just a "he said, she said," but rather a "he said, she said, another he said, another she said." Kind of exhausting. On top of that, each of the narratives are very heavy on backstory which, in good fiction, is absolutely necessary. But when it takes up 50% of the book in the form of italicized flashbacks, it gets out of control.

Pros

Fascinating storyline and world-building // Engaging; keeps you hanging on constantly // Dramatic Earth-bound adventures and minor plot twists // Bellamy is a strongly written character // Ending makes me want to read the second book! That's what ultimately matters, right?

Cons

Abundance of flashbacks is annoying; causes disorder in the flow of the storytelling // Constant narrative shifts also gets chaotic // Stylistically unimpressive // All the characters are grossly idealized (i.e. sweet, pretty/handsome, kind, brave, etc.) and thus pretty forgettable (with the exception of Bellamy) // Cliffhanger ending may cause distress

Love

Bellamy brought his hands behind his head and tilted his face toward the sun, exhaling as the warmth seeped into his skin. It was almost as nice as being in bed with a girl. Maybe even better, because the sun would never ask him what he was thinking.

Verdict

Despite my numerous quips with the lacking characters and structure of The 100, I found myself enjoying it while reading and left wanting more once finished. It's definitely a plot-driven sci-fi novel with lots of action and lots of suspense; if that's your thing, you should totally give it a chance. Kass Morgan's debut is one of those books that isn't mind-blowing, but is still hard to put down, so I definitely understand its appeal to mainstream young adult audiences. While unimpressive in a literary lens or by composition, The 100 is still a promising first installment in an exciting dystopian series 

7 hearts: Not perfect, but overall enjoyable; borrow, don't buy! (x)

7 Heart Review: The Curiosity by Stephen Kiernan

The Curiosity
Stephen Kiernan

Page Count: 464
Release Date: July 1st 2014 (paperback edition)
Publisher: William Morrow Books (Harper Collins)
Source: Complimentary copy provided by tour publicist via publisher in exchange for an honest and unbiased review (thank you, TLC Book Tours and Harper Collins!)
Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

What if the love of your life died decades before you were born?

When Dr. Kate Philo and her scientific exploration team discover the body of a man buried deep in the Arctic ice, her egocentric and paranoid boss, Erastus Carthage, orders the frozen man to be brought to his lab in Boston and reanimated. The endeavor is named The Lazarus Project, and as the man, Jeremiah Rice, begins to regain his memories, the last thing he recalls is falling overboard into the Arctic Ocean in 1906. When news of the project breaks, it ignites a media firestorm and protests by religious fundamentalists.

Thrown together by fate, Kate and Jeremiah grow closer. But the clock is ticking and Jeremiah’s new life is slipping away. With Carthage planning to exploit Jeremiah while he can, Kate must decide how far she is willing to go to protect the man she has come to love. A gripping, poignant, and thoroughly original thriller, The Curiosity raises disturbing questions about the very nature of life and humanity.

Buy the book from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository | Books-A-Million | iTunes | Kobo | Google Play | Publisher

Review

"When hard ice forms, any creatures in the water undergo extremely rapid freezing—so fast that the usual crystals of ice do not form. That speed leaves cells intact, and with unique chemical properties, namely abundant oxygen and glucose. Everything is preserved as it was when alive. Our challenge is to guide it back. Observe."

When love's timeline is limited, does it make that love any less meaningful? Reading the premise of The Curiosity sent a thrill reverberating through my body. From the Frankenstein-meets-The-Time-Traveler's-Wife storyline, to the ultimate romantic tragedy of finding a soulmate from another time and place—another plane—this was the kind of sci-fi novel I knew I had been waiting for for a long time. The good news is, in so many ways, this book blew my mind with its originality and argumentative depth. The bad news is, in so many more ways, it also disappointed me. My feelings, clearly, are mixed.

The Curiosity is narrated in the alternating voices of four arguably essential figures behind the Lazarus Project: Kate (the jaded scientist), Carthage (her controlling, mad-genius supervisor), Jeremiah (the judge and human subject), and Daniel (a seedy, seemingly useless reporter with an inflated sense of self-importance). Each point of view gives interesting perspectives on the discovery of the "unfrozen" man, Jeremiah, and the muddiness and uncertainty between these three characters are what contribute to most of the novel's tension—this was very well done.

Kiernan has the tendency to go into specific, sometimes rambly detail about, well, everything. I love how his style is both straightforward and analytical—like the scientific method—yet still profound. However, sometimes I felt like it was a bit too much; frequently, there is elaboration on what doesn't need to be elaborated, and it was frustrating and quite laborious to have to skim through all that to get to the good parts. And trust me—when The Curiosity got good, it got really good. The most exciting scenes of the novel—namely, Jeremiah's reanimation—are absolutely electrifying; they will make your heart pound wildly against your ribcage and your fingers tremble. These are the scenes that motivated me to continue reading the book, and that surpassed my expectations. But considering these brilliant pieces were so few and far between—nestled within long chunks of backstory and redundant ruminations—and clocking in at 464 pages, The Curiosity wasn't exactly an easy, or overall enjoyable, read.

In terms of actual writing style, Stephen Kiernan is no doubt, extremely talented. His voice flows vibrantly and cinematically, but gets stiff during Kate's narrations; she just doesn't seem relatable or likable to me. It bothered me that Daniel had to comment about how "hot" she is every few pages, in order for her attractiveness to be conveyed, but more importantly, she personally doesn't feel genuine. I'm unsure of whether this is because her female perspective was written by a man, or if her personality was just built like that—rigid and impersonal—but I hardly found myself rooting for her as the protagonist.

Since romance is among my favorite genres, I am typically a huge sucker for these types of "falling in love at the most inopportune moment" stories, but I felt the romance was misplaced in this situation. Kiernan begins with a sensational plot, but adding the romance in kind of cheapened it. Given the circumstances of high-profile scientific research and Kate's professional career, I was turned off by how her first encounter with Jeremiah immediately turned into a romance—it felt inappropriate, and largely, unbelievable. It was very well written and I did find myself being swept away by the angst that came with Kate's budding affection for the off-limits Jeremiah, but overall, I think The Curiosity could have been successful not being a love story.

While romance is not the biggest accomplishment of this novel, the intensity of thought-provoking questions raised, certainly is. Obviously, an ethical debate will come naturally with a storyline about a man who becomes a lab specimen, and the fact that Jeremiah is humanized by becoming the object of Kate's attachment further heightens the issue of morals and ethics. Both the scientific rationalizations and the convoluted line of events present readers with heart-stopping revelations and the frenzy that follows, and this was what made The Curiosity so provocative and so stimulating. To me, this novel isn't simply about a man who is revived, and a woman who loves him, but it's about two lost people who experience everything for the first time in their lives again; people who, through each other, are brought back to life.

Pros

Creative, captivating plot // Multi-dimensional and deep-delving storytelling, rather than just spelling out what happens // Perspectives of different characters are very distinct (and switch from first to second to third person, something I've never encountered before) // Thought-provoking and controversial in topic

Cons

Long-winded writing style // Bland, rather unmemorable characters, even when given emotions and a backstory // I had trouble sympathizing with Kate, which in turn, defeated the purpose of the "tragic romance" for me

Verdict

The Curiosity is a fascinating study on human vulnerability, the virtues of love, the astonishing power of science, but it's also a rather bulky novel. Due to its drawn-out chapters and massive page count, I didn't have that much fun reading it, but do I recommend it to others? Yes, yes yes! It's an impressive debut, a force to be reckoned with. Stephen Kiernan begins with an original plotline and cleverly interconnected multiple perspectives to produce a thought-provoking, challenging, and incredibly dynamic debut that I can see doing well on the big screen (luckily, 20th Century Fox has already bought film rights!!!). I suggest you only pick this up if you have a lot of patience and some time on your hands—as much of a page-turner as this book is, it is NOT something you can read within a few sittings 

7 hearts: Not perfect, but overall enjoyable; borrow, don't buy! (x)

10 Heart Review: All Our Yesterdays by Cristin Terrill

All Our Yesterdays
Cristin Terrill

Page Count: 362
Release Date: September 3rd, 2013
Publisher: Hyperion Books (Disney)
Source: Complimentary copy provided by publicist in exchange for an honest and unbiased review (thank you, JKS Communications!)
Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

"You have to kill him."

Imprisoned in the heart of a secret military base, Em has nothing except the voice of the boy in the cell next door and the list of instructions she finds taped inside the drain.

Only Em can complete the final instruction. She’s tried everything to prevent the creation of a time machine that will tear the world apart. She holds the proof: a list she has never seen before, written in her own hand. Each failed attempt in the past has led her to the same terrible present—imprisoned and tortured by a sadistic man called the doctor while war rages outside.

Marina has loved her best friend James since the day he moved next door when they were children. A gorgeous, introverted science prodigy from one of America’s most famous families, James finally seems to be seeing Marina in a new way, too. But on one disastrous night, James’s life crumbles apart, and with it, Marina’s hopes for their future. Now someone is trying to kill him. Marina will protect James, no matter what. Even if it means opening her eyes to a truth so terrible that she may not survive it. At least not as the girl she once was.

All Our Yesterdays is a wrenching, brilliantly plotted story of fierce love, unthinkable sacrifice, and the infinite implications of our every choice.

Buy the book from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository | Books-A-Million

Review

"[Time travel] sounds dangerous to me," Finn says. "So much could go wrong."
"There are risks," James concedes, "but progress is always dangerous, isn't it? Most of the time, walls don't get dismantled brick by brick. Someone has to crash through them."

I'm sobbing right now, guys. SOBBING. Okay, maybe not literally tears-flowing-down-my-cheeks sobbing but I'm in this messy state of existence where my heart is in a million shards, and a helpless I've-finished-this-book-so-now-what-do-I-do guttural moan escapes from the depths of my soul every few seconds.

Yeah. I've got it that bad.

Now that you know my current state of emotional health (and of my drama queen tendencies), let me quickly summarize my thoughts on this book, in case you are not interested in reading my entire review in all its fangirly and incoherent glory:

My. New. Favorite.

See the direction in which I'm headed?

All Our Yesterdays is thrilling, jolting, and one of the best time-travel romances I've ever read.

Emphasis on ever.

During a time of deep bureaucratic brew in Washington DC, Marina Marchetti finds herself smack-dab in the middle of a sensitive, highly guarded affair. As if her hopeless crush on her genius best friend, James Shaw, doesn't make her life—where she's too plain, too out-of-place, and too ignored—hard enough. Now, she's caught up in a dangerous political battleground, and there's no telling if her life—or James's—will be safe, or even significant, ever again.

In another time—in an alternate, but simultaneous world set four years into the future—Em makes a dreadful discovery: in order to save herself, save humanity, she has to kill him. It's the only option she has left; her past selves have tried every other method, and each of them has failed, and proceeded to write them down onto a piece of paper which she finds in the drain of her prison cell. It's the last thing in the world she wants to do, but she knows there are certain sacrifices she has to make. Alongside Finn, the one boy who's suffered with her, comforted her, and loved her throughout it all, she's determined to succeed in this critical mission upon which the entire world depends... because this time, it may be her last chance.

There was not one page in All Our Yesterdays that didn't have my full, aching attention. The plot moves quickly and it moves consequentially; it pained me even to blink because that's how desperately I didn't want to miss anything. The shifting perspectives between Marina and Em not only create a mounting sense of anticipation, but also masterfully connect the two different worlds, the two different narrators, which brings the entire story revolving around the pivotal time machine, into full circle.

The intense storyline was enough to impress me, but on top of this, Cristin Terrill just had to breathe life into her characters. She depicts such a genuine dynamism in every single one—the kind that could only result from the affliction each of them has been through. Your heart will break along with James's, Marina's, and Finn's, I guarantee it.

Marina starts off as a bit of a brat, and it isn't until the boy she loves hardens before her very eyes that she realizes the horrors of a dangerously brilliant mind and an equally determined heart. I connected with her in her imperfections and her tragic vulnerabilities; while she's not the kind of person I'd beg to become best friends with, she is a terrific protagonist and her account is not only mind-bending, but also highly moving.

Em is a different kind of narrator. She's unwavering and she's clever—a lethal combination—and the past four years have toughened her up greatly. However, a wisp of that hopeful, loving person she used to be—the kind who just wanted to believe in the good in people—still resides deep inside of her, even after all she's been through. That is her weakness.

Finn is by far the most affecting character. He made me laugh out loud and wince, my heart clamp up, and my gut drop. He's basically the perfect book boyfriend: clever, hilarious, strong. The thing is, Em, whom he's in love with, can't detach herself fully from her past... and that is his weakness.

A fierce love's war meets The Butterfly Effect when Em and Finn realize time travel isn't a wonder; it's an abomination. Their efforts to keep everything that has ever happened from ever happening, however, does have its disastrous consequences, including putting their own lives and existences at stake. Time is complex and perplexing that way; it has a mind of its own, and whatever repercussions it delivers for messing with it, they'll have to withstand. After all, in this type of war, sacrifice is the only effective weapon that exists.

All Our Yesterdays is electrifying, devastating, and THE GODDAMN REASON I'LL PROBABLY NEED THERAPY FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE. Sorry, I'm sorry. It's just that this book has messed with my emotions so much; I can't even control my outbursts now. I swear this is the last time I'll do that.

Pros

Unpredictable and suspenseful // Unique take on time travel // Purposeful in message and tender in tone // Realistically frightening dystopian setting // Expertly portrayed dynamism in characters // Gorgeous, perfectly balanced romance // FINN FUCKIN' ABBOTT // Just a bleepin' phenomenal book, okay?? Don't even ask, just go buy

Cons

A couple plot holes, as expected from a time travel story with its paradoxes and whatnot; did not detract from my enjoyment, though (obviously)

Love

The pure reason why I am upset that Finn Abbott does not exist in real life:

"Ready?" I say, more to myself than Finn.

I raise the key to the door, but before I can put it in the lock, Finn slides his hand around my neck and pulls me against him, muffling my squawk of surprise with his lips. He kisses me like I've never been kissed before. Kiss is too small a word for it. It's like he's pouring every ounce of love and lust and regret, every moment of pent-up longing from months in a cell, into me. I press up into him, and when he pulls away to rest his forehead against mine, I'm dazed and out of breath.

"Now," he whispers, the words ghosting over my lips, "I'm ready."

Verdict

Shocking, exhilarating, and breathtakingly romantic, this YA dystopian thriller will consume you and frighten you and shatter you to pieces. I promise you, All Our Yesterdays will leave you writhing, gasping, and reeling in the aftermath of its frenzied, enthralling story of what happens when time travel goes utterly, horribly wrong. With a powerful narrative voice, intoxicating characters, and a romance that is all of tender, complicated, and heartfelt, Cristin Terrill brings readers a staggering debut that simply cannot be missed 

10 hearts: I'm speechless; this book is an extraordinarily amazingly wonderfully fantastically marvelous masterpiece. Drop everything and go buy yourself a copy now! (x)

The Science (Fiction) of Love by Aubrey Watt + Giveaway!

As the second week of the thrilling Insatiable Reads Book Tour comes to a close, I want to celebrate the release of Paragon with the lovely Aubrey Watt!

Today, Aubrey will be sharing how she merged science fiction and romance in her newest book, as well as a special sneak peek! Stay tuned for a chance to win a print copy of Paragon too! Readers, please help me welcome Aubrey to the blog.

The Science (Fiction) of Love: How A Smart, Sexy Protagonist Falls in Love with an Android in Paragon

I was inspired to write Paragon after reading the book Wired by Douglas E. Richards and falling in love with the character of Kira. Although I mostly write erotic romance, I wanted to tell an story about a smart, sexy protagonist. At the same time, I was waist-deep in philosophy, reading about the hard problem of consciousness in cognitive science while taking Stanford's online class in artificial intelligence. From this unlikely combination the character of Chal Davidson was born. She is a neuroscientist who helps to create an android prototype at a secret military base. Alan (the prototype) must learn everything from the beginning—how to talk, how to feel, and especially how to love.

Although Paragon has its share of science fiction thrills, the second half of the story focuses on the budding romance between the two main characters and the curiosity that drives both of them. This is a love story about discovering passion, and as Alan learns how to love, Chal begins to discover, albeit reluctantly, the passion that is hidden inside of herself. Her academic curiosity has launched her career at the expense of her real world relationships, but she has never been comfortable exploring her own emotions. Alan forces her out of her shell and into the real world.

Science fiction, and science fiction romance in particular, digs deep at the heart of human conflict and emotion. What does it truly mean to be human? What does it truly mean to love? In this book, I hoped to get at some of these major issues in philosophy and neuroscience while developing Alan and Chal's romance. I remember reading The Left Hand of Darkness for the first time in high school and being blown away by Ursula K. Leguin's portrayal of sexuality and love in an alien world. In a science fiction setting, authors can develop a completely different context for human emotion.

At its very best, science fiction romance can change the way we view the world and the humans who inhabit it. I only hope that Paragon can add in some small way to the universe of new and strange love stories in this genre.

Okay... I'm totally hooked. Who's with me??? Here's a little about the book...

Paragon
Aubrey Watt

Page Count: 252
Release Date: 3 March 2013
Publisher: CreateSpace (self-published)
Genre: Science Fiction, Romance, Thriller, Futuristic

In the middle of the Arizona desert, a hundred feet underground, the United States military is illegally developing the first emotionally sentient android. Classified top secret, the mission has failed to successfully awaken the first two androids created in the lab.

When brilliant neuroscientist Chal Davidson is called in to assist, the third android is just hours from being awakened. By the time she realizes the vast implications of her work, it's too late to stop the prototype's development. Torn by her moral and scientific responsibilities, Chal is even more confused by the emotional connection she is starting to feel with the newly-created man. The only hope she has is escape—for her and the android—and time is running out...

Click "read more" for a little taste, as well as a giveaway!

♥♥♥♥♥: Nette by Barbara Rayne

Nette
Barbara Rayne

Page Count: 158
Release Date: 21 March 2012
Publisher: CreateSpace (self-published)
Source: Complimentary copy provided by author in exchange for an honest and unbiased review (thank you!)

In a world where gender was distinguished by the eye color, blue for female and brown for male, she had the misfortune of being born as brown eyed girl. Being ugly and a freak to everyone was the least of her troubles. Immortal and destined to be a queen, her mere existence was a threat to the king. After everyone she loved was brutally murdered, she had no choice but to pursue the path she was destined. In a world that made it clear there was no place in it for her, immortal Nette will have to make room even if it means killing them all.

Review

Nette, whose biological makeup defies every rule of the norm, directly experienced the harshness of law and society since the day she was born. Her only crime is existing.

It isn't just her brown eyes that set her apart, however. She was born with great power, as a prophet stated, the power of immortality, whose purpose is to overrule the unjust King Garlid. Because of her differences, no one will accept her. And this, we readers learn, takes a turn for the worst on not only her self-esteem, but also on her morality. Innocent, adventurous Nette goes through hell and high water and soon transforms into a merciless, indestructible Queen.

The journey Nette goes on in order to fulfill her prophecy takes place in an ambitious fantastical world; the adventure is the perfect dangerous blend of suspense, betrayal, and companionship. I loved the plot Rayne creates, but the writing, not so much. The simple, first-person style reads almost in a formal fashion, except it uses contemporary diction. I wouldn't have minded the informal language, considering Nette takes place in the future, but I would have liked the style to match. There is absolutely no showing; the language is all telling—from Nette's irritatingly unworldly and unskilled point of view, at that. This stylistic flaw, along with the countless grammatical mistakes and typographical errors, made Nette a difficult read; I really had to work to comprehend it.

I do like the characters Rayne creates. King Raul, the love interest, in particular, was a pleasant character, though he isn't particularly deep. I wish the author would have elaborated upon the characters better. The good characters are likable and the bad characters dislikable, but that's about as far as characterization goes. Nothing from Nette will be haunting me tomorrow.

The theme of societal brutality and the effect it has on human compassion is especially strong, but again, I wish it had been analyzed more thoughtfully. The overall structure and flow of this book are kind of a mess, but I can tell it has its high points. Albeit, they're rather cloaked by the thick, awkward dialogue and impenetrable narration, but I promise they're there. With a bit of cleaning up, Nette might have potential to be a hit among dystopian thriller aficionados.

Pros

Interesting dystopian premise // Nice love story // Well-depicted characters; protagonists are perfectly lovable while antagonists are detestable // Doesn't lack action and gore // Feelings of frustration and injustice are portrayed well

Cons

Narration is off-key: passive and shows rather than tells // Tone is unfeeling and unmoving // Needs an editor badly // Characters are not explored deeply; I felt detached from them // Dialogue too stilted and actions too fantastical; I couldn't imagine any of this playing out in front of me

Love

"You lost your memory, so you don't know I can kill you with a single move, throw you on the floor..."

"I choose the second option."

Verdict

I didn't hate Nette, but I certainly didn't enjoy reading it either. The dystopian society Rayne immerses readers in is fascinating, and the characterization accurate, but stylistically, this one is terribly unfulfilling. There were aspects I really liked, such as the naturally flowing plot, but can't say I recommend it.

5 hearts: Doesn't particularly light any of my fires; I feel indifferent about this book. ♥♥♥♥♥

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥: Riser by Becca Smith

Riser
Becca Smith

Release Date: June 5th, 2010

Publisher: Red Frog Publishing

Page Count: 361

Source: Complimentary copy provided by author, via Innovative Online Book Tours, in exchange for an honest and unbiased review (thank you both!!), as part of the Riser book tour

Black swirling holes churning madly in the center of every corpse. This is how eighteen-year-old Chelsan Derée sees the deceased. Her ability to connect to the black spinning holes allows her to control every dead thing within a four-mile radius.

But that's the least of her problems. It's 2320 and Chelsan Derée has to survive another year of high school, which for her is pure and utter torture, mainly due to the fact that her schoolmate Jill Forester's favorite activity is making Chelsan's life a living hell. If that isn't enough, Chelsan's impossible crush on Ryan Vaughn makes her brain do somersaults on a regular basis, especially since she is positive he doesn't know she exists. And being eighteen Chelsan has to deal with the pressure of whether or not she should take a little pill called Age-pro, which cures aging, making the world eighteen forever and highly over-populated.

When Chelsan's mother, Janet, is brutally killed, along with everyone else in her trailer park, Chelsan finds out that she was the intended target. Chelsan must use her power to raise and control the dead to save herself, protect her friends and take down the man responsible for murdering her mother.

Becca Smith is a new author for me, but I absolutely love her debut into the YA Paranormal genre. Riser is complex because it contains so many elements of suspense, romance, and dystopian havoc. As we are introduced to the various, likable (though, disappointingly static) characters, the plot propels forward. Eventually, the line between technology and the paranormal is blurred, but the action never falters.

As a whole, I would say I'm pleased by Riser. It is sentimental, entertaining, and thrilling in all the right places. The plot is SO creative and fast-paced, and it definitely makes me want to keep turning the pages. The concept of raising and controlling the dead is completely new to me. Chelsan isn't your everyday tomb-raider, and Riser isn't your everyday zombie story. Chelsan can control any living thing, weather it be goldfish or beetles or even plants, and throughout the story, she uses this skill to her advantage. In a way, it is a fresh approach to the paranormal genre because it introduces not only a supernatural dilemma, but one wrapped around a supernatural superpower.

As with most books, it isn't without flaws, however.

First and foremost, I am not impressed by the writing style. Smith's tone is often stale and sometimes just awkward. I emphasize that it is not the author's way with words that makes this book interesting. It is her ideas, her imagination, that shape it into a good read.

As a Young Adult novel, it does broach a few dark topics, but it isn't one of those shocking and scandalous YA books. Overall pretty clean; mothers, you can hand this off to your daughters. But let's be honest. From a teenager's perspective, shocking and scandalous does make for interesting, which, in turn, indicates Riser could be received as rather bland. Not the plot, no—the plot is exciting and fun. But the overall mood is placid because of how chaste it is.

I think there could be much improvement in characterization. While each of the cast members are well-defined (we know exactly who the protagonist, antagonist, best friend, love interest, et cetera are... no twisted betrayals or sudden disturbing plot turns), they all seem very superficial. The main character, Chelsan, especially. We do receive a glimpse of her innermost thoughts and insecurities, but I feel all the individual 'turmoil' is very frou-frou—just not realistic. Combined with the fact that she just happens to be super lucky SPOILER SPOILER in always finding a way out of abductions, attacks, and the like, and having boys crawl all over her despite her 'geekiness', I can't say all of it is very believable. This statement rings true for not only the action, but also for the dialogue and personal conflicts.

But thanks to the plot that continuously plows through the risky circumstances of Chelsan's deadly mission, I did enjoy this one fairly and recommend it to fans of Young Adult romance and the dystopian (futuristic) paranormal genre.

Stephanie Loves: "'We were so worried. You should have seen Ryan, he was a crazy man trying to find you.'"

Radical Rating: 7 hearts: Not without flaws, but overall enjoyable. ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

♥♥♥♥♥♥: 7 Scorpions: Rebellion by Mike Saxton

Rebellion (7 Scorpions #1)
Mike Saxton

Release Date: May 13th, 2010

Publisher: Strategic Book Group

Page Count: 443

Source: Complimentary copy provided by author, via Strategic Marketing Group, in exchange for an honest and unbiased review (thank you both!)

The world was turned upside down by the swift and brutal attack of a dictator known only as Zodiac. Planting flash bombs in every major city across the world, he detonated them simultaneously, sending the survivors into chaos and anarchy.

In the wake of the destruction, Zodiac unleashed the dreaded Seekers, a group with the ability to radiate an aura of intense fear, which would complete the enslavement and extermination of humanity.

A former vigilante, turned government super soldier experiment, emerges from his self-imposed exile to challenge the new status quo. Can Vincent Black, with his makeshift team of unlikely allies, overcome the demons of his past to help preserve the future of humanity?

What Stephanie Thinks: Saxton has a completely original and well-planned story going on in his first installment of the 7 Scorpions series. The characters are engaging, amiable, and while not 100% realistic, do together, create the perfect cast of "action film" stars we love to read about.

In a time of the world's despair, one man, one villain, attempts to take over and recreate society, and the protagonist, super-human Vincent Black—an example of what results when the government messes with things it shouldn't mess with—seems to be the only key in stopping him. A myriad of futuristic technologies, fantastical creatures, and gruesome, nearly video-gamesque violence is captured between the pages of this dystopian novel.

While I think the story itself is a keeper, I can't say the same thing about the writing style. It doesn't flow properly, and it's very mediocre and repetitive. It's something I would expect from someone who is not a writer by trade, but still has the perseverance to carry on such an imaginative narrative. While not overly lush (I consider it the exact opposite, actually—it's quite acute), Saxton's technique still unnecessarily detailed; for example, characters' clothing choices are always elaborated upon, there is always a dialogue tag, the same punchlines are used over and over again, et cetera.

There are definitely some moments I winced while reading just because of the awkward or overrated wording, but if you're in for an adventurous, action-packed read, definitely consider Rebellion to keep you intrigued.

Stephanie Loves: "Lexi gave Josh a little poke in the ribs. 'C'mon Josh, where's your sense of adventure?
'I left it in my other pants,' he replied sarcastically." — see what I mean by unnecessary?? This line would have been grand, had "he replied sarcastically" been left out. We KNOW the phrase was a sardonic attempt at humor. We don't need a narration to elaborate upon it.

Radical Rating: 6 hearts: Satisfying for a first read, but I'm not going back. ♥♥♥♥♥♥

❤author: Greg Kiser Interview and Giveaway!

❤ Today, as part of a NURTURE Virtual BOOK Tourz™ blog tour, I will be hosting author, Greg Kiser with an interview and giveaway. Welcome to ¡Miraculous!, Greg! Will you please share a short bio with us?

Happily married to a wonderful and inspirational wife, Serena, with two beautiful children – Miller and Grace.

Graduated from Southern Polytechnic University in Atlanta with a BS in Electrical Engineering. Then earned an MBA from the University of South Florida.

Currently Client Service Director at Cisco, a fortune fifty high-tech multinational corporation.

Written extensively for fortune fifty high-tech firms in describing next generation networks and painting pictures of the true evolution of technology for the consumer.

My short story, Did They Tell You, was selected for the 2010 San Francisco Writer’s Conference Anthology, and is currently available on scribd.com, no charge.

❤ Tell us about debut release, inSyte.

It’s set in Tampa Bay, Florida and the year is 2020. Ex-Navy SEAL Mitch “Double” Downing discovers how to tap into the internet with his mind. His new inSyte provides transparent access to the sum of all human knowledge recorded since hieroglyphics.

If knowledge is power, Mitch just became the strongest man in the world.

But inSyte has ideas of its own as the software exposes a politician’s “divine” plan that will unwittingly slaughter millions of people. Is killing the man the only way to prevent Armageddon? The politician’s daughter would probably disagree. And she happens to be the love of Mitch’s life. Losing Kate would be too damn much collateral damage.

At the center of the conflict is a wolf-like killer who will stop at nothing to murder the ex-Navy SEAL. And Mitch must come to grips with inSyte’s dark side – a dominating addiction that soon controls his thoughts and places him on a steep slide to self-destruction.

❤ What inspired you to write it and then how did you get published? Tell us your call story.

I listened to Rudy Giuliani speak a year after 9/11. This was in August of 2002, just under a year since 9/11. Rudy spoke to a crowd of about 5,000 folks. He described the events of that day and it was very emotional, everyone loved the guy, he was held in such admiration.

He told the crowd that every great leader will possess spirituality. And when you have millions of people that you’re serving, there’s a natural temptation to believe that God put you there, there must be a divine intervention. Then the tendency is to think that any gut feeling you have, gut decision, must be God’s decision.

So Rudy talked about how you have to avoid falling into that trap, you have to remain objective and realize you’re only human and they are your decisions.

I found that fascinating because I had never heard a politician talk like that. I think there are a number of politicians in the US and abroad, recently and not, where pragmatism was nowhere to be found. I wanted to explore that in a novel. Come on, there’s all kinds of room for conflict.

As for publishing, I self-published on Amazon. The only way to go these days ;) Really pretty simple. Of course, the average book that self-publishes on Amazon sells 100 copies to, you guessed it, friends and business associates and the like. So the trick is – how do you market the book further; drive sales?

At the end of the day, it’s all about word of mouth. So you have to get your book out there and it has to be good and then you need for word of mouth to help.

So – be sure it’s ready for prime time before you decide to self-publish. I waited 3 years after my first draft because I wanted my novel to be as good as it could possibly be. Along the way I had some serious people read it and provide candid feedback. Enough good feedback to know I was onto something, enough bad feedback to keep me busy writing and rewriting and, yes, deleting!

❤ How much of your actual life would you say gets written into your fictional stories?

The best parts, because they're what gives my writing color, richness. There’s one scene in my book where my protagonist and his love interest meet at his apartment. She’s looking at photographs on a bookshelf and she sees one of him as a child with his family. The thoughts she has are directly related to thoughts I had looking at a picture of my young niece many years ago with her family.

It’s the little moments in life that must be woven into your book to make it real.

❤ I so contend to that! If inSyte were made into a movie, who would you cast as the main characters?

What a great question! I’ve actually thought about that. Why not? It’s fun. Here goes:

Mitch: Ryan Gosling
Kate: Kristen Stewart
Cheslov: Daniel Craig
Woody: Sean William Scott
Mayor: Alec Baldwin
Phelps: Željko Ivanek

❤ What are your biggest motivations for writing?

To get all this stuff that is swimming around in my head out. If I didn’t write, I’d probably explode. I’ve always had a really dark mind and I think that writing about scary things helps me stay sane.

❤ How would you describe your writing style and tone?

Real. Direct. I spent many, many hours searching and deleting ‘had’. I rewrote to put as much as I could into present tense. I read through sentences and deleted words that were unnecessary. I read all the dialogue aloud to ensure I had contractions and cuss words but not too much of either because I wanted it to be real.

Real.

❤ I notice myself doing that too, when I write. Give aspiring writers a piece of advice you wish you had known before getting published.

Don’t let ANYBODY read that initial draft. It will suck.

Also, be ready for criticism. You may think it’s the best novel, potentially, ever written. It’s not. You need direction from others to make your book be all that it can possibly be.
Finish your first draft and then refine, rewrite, make it real. Until you love it. I’d say a year or more. For me, it took three years after the initial draft to get it where I wanted it to be. And at least one year before it was ready for anyone else to read.

Because before that, it sucked. To be clear, I never thought it sucked when I finished writing sections. Only when I re-read them months later.

You see, here’s another bit of advice. Don’t spend too much time on the polishing when you first get the words down. You’re just building the foundation. The polishing and finishing comes later.

❤ What's something about you that might surprise your readers?

I was on a Nuclear Cruiser in the Navy. That might surprise some people.

❤ Who are some books or authors your idolize?

Stephen King and Thomas Harris. Gods.

❤ If you could be any fictional character, who would you be?

Wow. That’s a really interesting question. Certainly not Ned Beatty’s character in Deliverance.

I’d say Clint Eastwood’s character in The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. Why? Because he was just so damn cool.

❤ What's the most interesting comment you've received about inSyte so far?

I loved the description of Cheslov from the Kirkus Review:

Woven throughout a story with many finely crafted twists, turns and revelations is the charismatic, mysterious, murderous Cheslov Kirill. As a classic merciless political operator, Kirill is unforgettable and chillingly, complexly rendered, especially for a man who uses a school of sharks off the Florida coast for corpse disposal.

❤ What lovely feedback! What's next for you?

Thinking about a sequel. Just thinking. Letting my mind sort through it subconsciously.

❤ I look forward to reading it! Where can you be found on the web?

At my website: www.gkiser.com.

❤ Before we conclude this interview, is there anything you’d like to ask our readers?

How many pages do you give a book to ‘grab’ you? Honestly? If you say it has to grab you off the bat, well, OK – everyone says that. But plenty of books will grab you in the first chapter, the first paragraph, even the first line. But the subsequent chapters have to follow it up. How many of those will you read before you decide you’re into it, or not?

What’s the criteria to grab you? Can you define it? Plot? Characters? Action? Drama? Conflict?

❤ Thank you for being here today, Greg! It was a pleasure getting to know you and inSyte better :)

Giveaway!

❤ Thanks to Greg's tour publicist, NURTURE Virtual BOOK Tourz™, one lucky reader will win their very own print copy of inSyte. To enter the giveaway, leave a comment on this interview with an answer to Greg's question.

Giveaway runs through September 28th, 2011 at 11.59 pm (your time) and is open to US, Canada, and UK residents only.

Please include your email address in your comment! If I don't know who to contact once you are chosen as the winner, your prize will be forfeited.
As a reminder, you do not have to follow my blog to enter, though it is always very much appreciated :)

Good luck!