Review - Enclave by Ann Aguirre

Enclave is the first in Ann Aguirre's young adult Razorland trilogy.  The second installment, Outpost, is scheduled for a Fall 2012 release.

Blurb from her site:

In Deuce’s world, people earn the right to a name only if they survive their first fifteen years. By that point, each unnamed ‘brat’ has trained into one of three groups–Breeders, Builders, or Hunters, identifiable by the number of scars they bear on their arms. Deuce has wanted to be a Huntress for as long as she can remember.

As a Huntress, her purpose is clear—to brave the dangerous tunnels outside the enclave and bring back meat to feed the group while evading ferocious monsters known as Freaks. She’s worked toward this goal her whole life, and nothing’s going to stop her, not even a beautiful, brooding Hunter named Fade. When the mysterious boy becomes her partner, Deuce’s troubles are just beginning.

Down below, deviation from the rules is punished swiftly and harshly, and Fade doesn’t like following orders. At first she thinks he’s crazy, but as death stalks their sanctuary, and it becomes clear the elders don’t always know best, Deuce wonders if Fade might be telling the truth. Her partner confuses her; she’s never known a boy like him before, as prone to touching her gently as using his knives with feral grace.

As Deuce’s perception shifts, so does the balance in the constant battle for survival. The mindless Freaks, once considered a threat only due to their sheer numbers, show signs of cunning and strategy… but the elders refuse to heed any warnings. Despite imminent disaster, the enclave puts their faith in strictures and sacrifice instead. No matter how she tries, Deuce cannot stem the dark tide that carries her far from the only world she’s ever known.

I LOVED this book!  Deuce, the main character, instantly pulled me into the story.  She is very proud of her community and her place within as a protector of her people, a huntress.  However, Deuce is hiding a "flaw", her sense of compassion and desire to question authority.  Both are traits Fade values and personifies himself.  Throughout the course of the novel, Deuce begins to discover that maybe the controlling enclave hasn't been completely honest with its populace and the dangers they face.

The action is top notch.  There are fighting scenes beyond every page flip both externally with the freaks and rival gangs and internally as the veil over Deuce's eyes begins to lift.  It was eye opening to see the world topside through each of Deuce's new revelations.  I was reminded of simple everyday items we take for granted in this life.

Aguirre did a phenomenal job on world building.  Each scene completely enraptured me and the contrast between the top side and underground worlds was beautifully orchestrated.  Within Enclave, the world became as important and tangible as the main characters.

Speaking of characters, even minor ones were well done.  Deuce as I mentioned prior, is very easy to relate and bond with.  Fade was harder to get a handle on in the beginning, but as Deuce grew to like and trust him, I did as well.  Tegan and Stalker worked well as additional characters; though I do hope to see more of them in future installments.  I think both characters have more to tell.

Overall, Enclave is an action packed, emotionally charged post apocalyptic thriller.  I loved the addition of zombies to the dystopia genre.  This novel proves to be an addictive start to a promising series!  If you are a fan of the recent dystopian fiction wave, make sure to add Enclave to your list.  For a sneak peek, the first two chapters can be found here.  Enjoy!

Rating: 5/5

~Helena

Review - Divergent by Veronica Roth

Divergent is Veronica Roth's debut novel and the first of a planned trilogy.  It is set for release on May 3, 2011.

Summary:

In Beatrice Prior’s dystopian Chicago world, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue—Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is—she can’t have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.

During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris, and struggles alongside her fellow initiates to live out the choice they have made. Together, they must undergo extreme physical tests of endurance and intense psychological simulations, some with devastating consequences. As initiation transforms them all, Tris must determine who her friends really are—and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes-fascinating, sometimes-exasperating boy fits into the life she’s chosen. But Tris also has a secret: one she’s kept hidden from everyone, because she’s been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers unrest and growing conflict that threatens to unravel her seemingly-perfect society, she also learns that her secret might be what helps her save those she loves . . . or it might be what destroys her.

First things first, isn't the cover just gorgeous?!  I seriously felt a magnetic pull to this book before I even laid eyes on the summary.  I opened up the pages and instantly delved into a masterfully crafted world of self exploration and governmental control.  Then a few chapters in, I fell head over heels for Four, the main male character.  To say I enjoyed this novel would be an understatement.  Divergent is a must read for young adults and adults alike.

Roth takes us on a no holds barred adrenaline trip along a rocky road of raw emotion, violence, and aggression.  She highlights each character at their worst and best moments; showing the duality and complexity of the human psyche.  This novel is about exploring the inner core in each of us and what we are capable of doing for self preservation and those we love in turn.

The characters are dynamic and well developed.  World building is fantastic; each faction left a clear picture and emotion for the reader.  Through the eyes of Tris, we gain insight into the inner workings of each faction, their governemental leaders/agendas, teenage angst, and parental relationships.  My favorite parts involved Trish learning who her parents really are on the inside and what they in turn are capable of as well.  And of course, the little glimpses into what makes Four tick raptly held my attention.  The characters make this novel and Roth did a fantastic job weaving it all together.

While searching for cover art, I came across the news that Summit has already purchased movie rights!  I am so beyond excited to see how they portray the world and characters on the big screen.

Roth has posted the first 100 pages of Divergent for your reading pleasure as well as a quick blurb explaining the thought/meaning behind the name of each faction.  Definitely check them out if you are interested!  Stick around and read her other entries too; I adore her sense of humor! :)

Rating: 4/5

~Helena

Review - Wither by Lauren DeStefano

Wither is Lauren DeStefano's debut novel and first in her Chemical Garden Trilogy.

Blurb from back cover:

"In the not-too-distant future, because of genetic engineering, every human is a ticking time bomb - males only live to age twenty-five, and females only live to age twenty.  To keep the population from dying out, girls are kidnapped and sold into polygamous marriages.
When sixteen-year-old Rhine is taken, she enters a world of wealth and privilege that both entices and terrifies her.  She has everything she ever wanted - except freedom.  With the help of Gabriel, a servant Rhine is growing dangerously attracted to, Rhine attempts to escape before it is too late."

I am torn on this review.  I love the concept and just recently began delving into dystopian lit as a genre.  As an aside, being in the medical field, the possible reality of this novel is terrifying.  There have been studies (yes I am a nerd) that have deleted certain genes from mouse models in an attempt to eliminate the threat of cancer.  The mice did not get cancer, but they experienced very limited lifespans.  This is because the same mechanisms that allow cancer cells to grow, also work to replenish our normal cells on a daily basis...but I won't bore you with the details that I don't completely know anyways.  I applaud DeStefano for her research, and if this was just an idea then you are one smart cookie ;p.  I also smiled when the term heterochromia graced the pages, but like I said mega dork here.

The novel seems divided into two sections for me, leaving me with vastly different opinions.  There is Rhine pre-escape attempt and Rhine post.  I had a very hard time relating to Rhine in the beginning.  She seemed emotionally distant to me and didn't react as I would expect.  She didn't outwardly express her fear, or act as the fighter that I wanted.  The first half of the novel, I got bogged down in the writing style.  Rhine told us how she viewed people, instead of leading us to agree with her through the actions/words of the other characters.  For example, I never felt resentful toward Linden.  He always seemed to be completely naive of the origin of the girls; more a captor of this situation as well, than a force to be hated.  Rhine and the others were terrified of Vaughn, but I didn't get to fully understand why until the latter half.  For these reasons, I had a difficult time connecting with the characters and the flow of the story was almost disjointed for me as a result.

The second half was completely different.  I loved Rhine's character, her duality to dream of freedom but still think of those she would be leaving behind to the fate of the mansion made her real.  The writing style seemed to change for me too, there was more action, more dialogue, more insight into other characters.  I finally saw and despised Vaughn.  Cecily went from being a static character into a multi faceted one.  Linden still struck me the same, but Rhine finally saw him for what I had all along.  I smiled, I was moved to tears, I sped through the pages.

Imagery throughout the novel is very powerful.  The descriptions of the Gatherers hit on primal fear.  All the books, soap operas, movies portray life as it was before...when everyone had 'normal' lifespans and life was a joy not spent in fear of dying at a young age.  What hit home the hardest for me, was that all these children grow up without parents.  Everyone dies so young, that there is no hope for a child to remember much of their parents.  We have children just to leave them unprotected in a cruel world where they will be expected to reproduce and die at a premature age as well.  Who will protect these young ones, who will make sure they are not extorted in the hopes of finding a cure, who will tuck them in at night?  Who will be left to keep the hope alive?

My favorite passage is when Rhine finds out the meaning of her name; the imagery is simply compelling.
Favorite line:

'The man in white says, "What fate has brought together, let no man tear asunder."
Fate, I think, is a thief.'

Since I have two completely different views of a single work, I decided to divide my rating accordingly.  The first portion I give a 3/5.  Second half earns a 4/5.  I am seriously considering re-reading the first bit to see if my opinion would change now that I know the characters better.

Overall rating: 3.5/5

~Helena

From my Kleenex fortress

In light of current medical conditions, this post is brought to you by Kleenex, Afrin nasal spray, and the Mucinex D that I had to sign my life away for.  Seriously people, stop making meth.  I may just send you all my dirty tissues in the mail to prove a point for all the sickies out there like me.  So while I wallow, bitch, and whine...I really am a pathetic baby, I decided to procrastinate more on my school work and bring you an update post.

I finished Shadowfever and it was FANTASTIC!!!  I will be doing a review in the near future.  Another gem that I finally found a copy of and read at breakneck speed was Vampirates.  Yes, the perfect combo to fulfill all my fantasies...too bad its a children's book *wink*.  A review will be done on that one too, because vampires + pirates...awesome sauce!


Just the other day, I downloaded a copy of Sarah Palin: Vampire Hunter.  Yes, the title speaks for itself.  It is a Twilight parody with a political satirical twist.  It has kept me amused so far; right now I am at the halfway mark.  Betcha last dollar, you will see a blurb about it when I am done.

The dear mailman dropped off an ARC for me to finish this week.  Lauren DeStefano's first in her Chemical Garden trilogy, entitled Wither.  Really excited to dig in. :)

After I stop being all Sicky McSickerson, be prepared to see a lot more activity from me.

(no, it doesn't)

Keeping my germs to myself, for the most part...

~Helena