Tagged: dystopia
The Apollo Academy by Kimberly P. Chase
(Cover picture courtesy of Goodreads.)
Take off with this dynamic, thrill-seeking, sexy New Adult Science Fiction series debut. Welcome to the exclusive Apollo Academy, where Aurora is about to discover that achieving her dream is only the first step towards her future.
As the heiress to Titon Technologies, eighteen-year-old Aurora Titon can have whatever she wants—clothes, expensive gadgets, anything money can buy. But all she really wants is to escape her pampered, paparazzi-infested life for the stars. Becoming the first female pilot to train as an astronaut for the exclusive Apollo Academy is exactly the chance for which she has been waiting.
Flying is everything she ever dreamed, her best friend also got into the Academy, and the paparazzi is banned from campus. Everything would be perfect, but for her unreciprocated crush on a fellow student, the sexy astronaut bent on making her life hell, and the fact that someone keeps trying to kill her.The most important education doesn’t happen in the classroom…
[Full disclosure: I requested and received a free ebook copy through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.]
I’ll admit that I was a little wary about requesting anything described as a “sexy New Adult Science Fiction series debut”. I haven’t read much New Adult fiction but my experiences have been mixed with it to say the least. However, I’ve requested a lot of books from this publisher Escape Publishing and I’ve liked every single one so I decided to give it a chance because of the rest of the blurb. In the end I’m so glad I did.
Aurora Titon is an heiress to a technology empire built on the backs of the poor, who indulge in virtual reality classes in order to escape the reality of their dying world. She knows that her father’s business practices have been unethical to say the least and so she’s determined to make a difference, to do something worthwhile with her life. As a child she discovered that this was flying but the problem is that the very exclusive Apollo Academy has never had a female pilot before. Aurora could obviously bribe her way in with her dad’s help but she wants to earn her spot as a pilot. Once she’s there, things really got interesting as she tried to gain acceptance and respect. Of course the instructor, Sky, seems determined to make her life a nightmare while someone seems to be trying to kill her. This sounds like a pretty typical futuristic mystery story but it’s Aurora’s character that makes her really stand out. She’s determined to earn her place at the Apollo Academy but in the beginning she also shows a bit of her spoiled background. As her skills build and she learns more about the Academy’s mission, she becomes just a little bit more humble and more likely to reach out to people to try to understand them. Aurora wasn’t a horrible person at the beginning of the book but she did change for the better by the end.
One of the things I enjoyed other than Aurora’s character was the realistic love triangle. My regular readers know that I hate love triangles with a passion but this one between Aurora, Zane and Sky was actually realistic and relatively believable. Zane tries to keep things between himself and Aurora platonic because he has a bad background that he’s trying to overcome but the attraction between them is undeniable. At the same time, the Academy’s golden son Sky is also hiding his own secrets, including his attraction to Aurora. When someone keeps trying to kill Aurora, it was really gratifying to see the two men actually work together with minimal masculine posturing; they put aside their differences. What a novel idea! I don’t want to give too much of the plot away but let’s just say that every character is hiding something and it gets pretty interesting when the cards they’re playing close to the chest are revealed.
Other than the realistic love triangle (those words are almost an oxymoron, I know) what really surprised me was the world-building. When you picture a ‘dying world’ you’re probably picturing a Hunger Games-esque starving world where everything is filthy and falling down. That’s not necessarily untrue in Chase’s world but she also makes a point of contrasting that with the better sections of the city, which are experiencing shortages but aren’t yet in critical mode. The earth is running out of resources and it’s the Apollo Academy’s mission to train astronauts in order to set up colonies on other planets as well as mine those planets for critical resources. Again, I don’t want to give too much away but let’s just say not everyone is super excited about humanity expanding its horizons to the rest of the solar system.
My only real quibble with The Apollo Academy is not the plot in general, but rather the ending. When you’re about halfway through and learn that someone is out to kill Aurora, it’s not hard to guess which student or students it is/are. Kimberly Chase makes it pretty clear who is the likely villain and unfortunately she goes with that likely villain as the actual villain. Most of the book has interesting plot twists and turns but I found that the ending was very predictable. Of course in real life you get scenarios like the one in the book where it’s the obvious suspect but I would have liked to see a better developed villain. Other than that, this is a fantastic debut for the author. The characters are three dimensional and believable, the love triangle is actually realistic and the world-building was pretty darn good. I’d definitely recommend it if you think the blurb sounds interesting.
I give this book 4/5 stars.
Twell and The Army of Powers by Kate O’Leary
(Cover picture courtesy of Goodreads.)
Twell lives in the new world of Como, and has always neglected her telekinetic gifts, desiring to be ‘normal.’ Her biggest drama in life is having to be genetically partnered with a boy she doesn’t know or love by her next birthday. Unfortunately she loves her best friend, who loves the girl she hates most, and Twell is left frustrated & heartbroken.
When Twell is requested alongside several other teens to develop her skills for the protection of Como, she reluctantly agrees to the training, and finds herself thrown into all sorts of mental and physical challenges.
Handsome, charismatic Jonaz, is gifted with the power of healing. According to Twell he’s an infuriating prat who delights in provoking her. But first impressions have always been her downfall.
When Como is attacked, life as Twell knows it is changed forever, with devastating consequences. With no choice but to fight, Twell risks her life to protect those who have survived, coming up against unexpected dangers she could never anticipate. Will she survive, and if so will she be matched to a stranger when the one she is growing to love is destined to another?
[Full disclosure: I was provided a free paperback through the blog tour in exchange for an honest review.]
In the first chapter of this book, I was filled with dread. It seemed like your typical catty teenage drama book with only a little bit of science fiction and a dash of dystopia. Then at the end of the chapter we learn that the leadership of Como, the Governing Body, chooses who you are matched with as life partners based on your genetics. Pretty terrifying, huh? There’s also the fact that every citizen wears a wristband that brings them updates from the GB and allows them to monitor everyone, everywhere. That’s even more terrifying.
Twell is a complicated character. She’s judgmental but at least she’s eventually willing to revise her judgments and act like a real human being rather than a super catty teenager. To her credit, she does grow quite a bit as a person as the book progresses, but there is a lot of angst to get through in the beginning. And to be fair, I’d be pretty angsty too if a government controlled my entire life like it does on Como. Twell’s interactions with the other characters are fascinating and I’ll admit she is a sympathetic character, particularly after tragedy strikes in the later half of the book. So I can’t really diss her or Kate O’Leary’s character development; it’s pretty good.
My only real criticism of Twell and The Army of Powers is the fact that the writing is unpolished. I don’t mean it’s bad or has lots of typos, but it feels like there’s a little more maturity needed on the part of the author to pull off those super emotional scenes. Part of the problem is that this is a first book so of course it’s going to be rough. But the other part is the fact that Kate O’Leary sometimes doesn’t let her characters speak for themselves. Whenever they say something that is clearly meant in one way she still adds an explanation after their dialogue that feels unnecessary, even in a book aimed at younger readers. It gets a little distracting at times but I believe Kate O’Leary’s writing will only improve with the sequel (especially considering that heart-wrenching cliffhanger).
So aside from a little bit of rough writing, this book is actually quite good. It’s not reliant on just one trope but it’s rather a mash-up of quite a few sci-fi and dystopian tropes into one unique, well thought-out world with realistic characters. I’d recommend it for younger teens, although there are some scenes of violence.
I give this book 3.5/5 stars.
Book Blast: Grower’s Gift by Vanna Smythe
Publication Date: May 15, 2014
Anthology: Forbidden Future by The Masquerade Crew
(Cover picture courtesy of Masquerade Tours.)
What becomes of mankind in the future? Is life better or worse?
Forbidden Future by James Wymore
When a time machine technician working the graveyard shift gets divorce papers from his wife, he decides it’s time to take the machine for a ride—no matter the consequences.Jump by Jon Bradbury
Jesse Kendall thinks he’s seen it all. He’s about to see more.Road Trip by Matt Mitrovich
Four friends drive to a college party and take an unexpected detour into the future.Cacotopia by James Lauren
Kayne Adamson went into suspension to await a cure, but never imagined how long his sleep would last or the world he would awaken into. Is it really the utopia it first appears to be?Society by Terra Harmony
Take a ride on the Energy of the Future where society gets a fresh, clean start—no matter who they have to leave behind.The Mountains Haven’t by Kade Anderson
Something is very wrong in the downtrodden town of Dignity and only the town’s Watcher, Julia, can see what it is.Between Utopias by Michael Trimmer
After being saved from a fatal heart attack by being transported to the future, David must choose from two opposite utopias.
[Full disclosure: I have had a close working relationship with The Masquerade Crew and its leader, Mark Lee, for a year. I was going to become one of the editors of this anthology until circumstances not under my control interfered and I had to drop out. With that said, this review is, as always, honest.]
I’m not a big anthology reader, but I really did love this one. For one, I love science fiction and secondly I do love a good short story. And believe me, there are some awesome short stories in here.
I’ll be totally predictable and say that my personal favourite was the anthology’s namesake: Forbidden Future. The main character was well-developed and interesting and the future he was thrust into was somewhat believable. And the ending was tragic and yet hilarious, but I can’t explain too much or that would spoil the awesome surprise. I won’t critique each short story, but on the whole I could relate to the characters and the futures were interesting. It’s hard to fit a whole new future into just a short story, but these authors were pretty awesome and managed to achieve it. Some futures were fantastic, others terrifying. There was a good balance in the selection of the stories because no two really predicted similar futures.
The one thing I had a gripe with was the editing. This is The Masquerade Crew’s first anthology and some of the editing was, admittedly, a little rough. There were basic typographical errors that should have been caught and I’m hoping they’ll be corrected in any subsequent editions. I don’t think there were enough to really distract from the story, but they are there and they are noticeable.
There’s a little something for everyone in Forbidden Future. There’s stories that get very technical for those fans of hard science fiction, but there’s also more character-driven stories for people like me who don’t necessarily understand a great deal of science. Yet in all the stories the main characters are interesting and characterization certainly wasn’t sacrificed in the world-building process. Each author had an unique voice and so did their characters.
Overall I’m pretty happy with the anthology. It never really had a weak story that I just wanted to skip through; all of the stories here were pretty strong. I look forward to future anthologies by The Masquerade Crew. And with the anthology on sale on Amazon for $.99 until December 7th, where can you go wrong?
I give this book 4.5/5 stars.
Amazon Barnes and Noble* Goodreads
*Unavailable
Pawn by Aimée Carter
(Cover picture courtesy of Imperial Beach Teen Blog.)
YOU CAN BE A VII. IF YOU GIVE UP EVERYTHING.
For Kitty Doe, it seems like an easy choice. She can either spend her life as a III in misery, looked down upon by the higher ranks and forced to leave the people she loves, or she can become a VII and join the most powerful family in the country.
If she says yes, Kitty will be Masked—surgically transformed into Lila Hart, the Prime Minister’s niece, who died under mysterious circumstances. As a member of the Hart family, she will be famous. She will be adored. And for the first time, she will matter.
There’s only one catch. She must also stop the rebellion that Lila secretly fostered, the same one that got her killed…and one Kitty believes in. Faced with threats, conspiracies and a life that’s not her own, she must decide which path to choose—and learn how to become more than a pawn in a twisted game she’s only beginning to understand.
[Full disclosure: I received a free ebook copy through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.]
Despite my misgivings about the Goddess Test trilogy, I actually enjoyed Pawn by Aimée Carter. The world was refreshingly unique for what seemed to be such a stereotypical dystopia and I found the main character, Kitty, to be a pretty sympathetic character. Considering I usually want to strangle the female leads in YA dystopia, this is quite a feat if I’m honest.
First off, the world-building. It seems like your typical divided society dystopian trope, but it’s not really. There are actually reasons for the division and the reasons are explained when the history of the country is presented. I found the Hart family’s rise to power surprisingly believable and how they keep their hold on power even more believable. It was rather disturbing to see what Elsewhere was because it really reminded me of the world Lois Lowry created in The Giver, but I suppose it makes sense when you have a system like that.
Kitty was not your stereotypical heroine. She was ready to do whatever needed to be done to survive, even if it meant pretending to be someone else in a family that mostly hated her. Was she a kick-butt heroine? No and her reluctance made sense given her upbringing as well as the Hart family’s reputation. How she handles herself in that complicated maze of politics was quite impressive and I cheered her on the whole way.
The pacing was pretty good, but the only thing I found a little off about this book was the plot. It wasn’t boring, per se, but it didn’t exactly keep me on the edge of my seat. Some of the plot twists were unpredictable, yes, but they felt a little off. Like Aimée Carter was departing from the whole feeling of the story, what she had been building toward previously. It was a little disconcerting, but overall I think Pawn is a pretty good read and I’d recommend giving it a try if you like YA dystopia.
I give this book 4/5 stars.