Tag Archives: 2013 books

Book Review: The Exodus Towers

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The Exodus Towers CoverBook: The Exodus Towers by Jason Hough Published August 2013 by Del Rey|Pages: 544

Where I Got It: I own the paperback!

Series: Dire Earth Cycle #2

Genre: Adult Science Fiction

You can find The Exodus Towers on Goodreads|You can find Jason on goodreads,  facebook, twitter and his website

Goodreads Summary: The Exodus Towers features all the high-octane action and richly imagined characters of The Darwin Elevator—but the stakes have never been higher.

The sudden appearance of a second space elevator in Brazil only deepens the mystery about the aliens who provided it: the Builders. Scavenger crew captain Skyler Luiken and brilliant scientist Dr. Tania Sharma have formed a colony around the new Elevator’s base, utilizing mobile towers to protect humans from the Builders’ plague. But they are soon under attack from a roving band of plague-immune soldiers. Cut off from the colony, Skyler must wage a one-man war against the new threat as well as murderous subhumans and thugs from Darwin—all while trying to solve the puzzle of the Builders’ master plan . . . before it’s too late for the last vestiges of humanity.

I definitely want to acknowledge that I know Jason, and he’s a pretty awesome guy, so I’m at least a little biased.  But I genuinely loved The Exodus Towers!

Certain things definitely were not what they seemed, especially with the Builders and all of the events that they had planned.  And the structures that appeared…they are definitely different, but they’re also kind of cool.  The differences between Belem and Darwin caught my interest, and I liked seeing how things were different for both groups.  And how certain people from Darwin caught up with Belem.

The cool thing about Belem is that part of the gang finds a new group of people who managed to survive just as long as the settlement in Brazil.  It’s good to meet some new survivors and how their story intertwines with those from Darwin.  I liked seeing the different perspectives, because you really get to know the characters better and you get a little more into their head.

Middle books always make me a little nervous, because I never know what to expect, but I am so glad that The Exodus Towers that exceeded the really high expectations The Darwin Elevator set.  We see more of the Jacobites, who were introduced in The Darwin Elevator, and they are much more important than I could have imagined.  I can’t wait to see how their story plays out.  I’m really glad that this book isn’t a bridge between the first and third book.

There’s a lot of action, and Jason does a great job with keep you wondering what’s going to happen next.  Like, we have yet to see the Builders, and I’m hoping they make an appearance in The Plague Forge because i really need to know what they’re up to!  We’ve seen SUBS and their technology, but I’d really like to know what their plan is.

Final Thoughts: I’m definitely excited about The Plague Forge, mostly because I want answers!  I love the mystery of the Builders, and how there are more immunes than anyone expected.  And I loved seeing the characters deal with new (and more pressing) challenges.  The Exodus Towers get 5 stars.

Book Review: Goddess

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Goddess CoverBook: Goddess by Josephine Angelini

Published May 2013 by HarperCollins|Pages: 432

Where I Got It: Nook store

Series: Starcrossed #3

Genre: YA Paranormal/Greek Mythology Re-Telling

You can find Goddess on Goodreads|You can find Josephine Angelini on Twitter, Facebook, and her website

Goodreads Summary: Goddess brings Josephine Angelini’s haunting, deeply romantic Starcrossed saga to its breathtaking conclusion.

Helen Hamilton, a Scion—the offspring of a Greek god and a mortal—is fighting her destiny. She refuses to accept that her life will echo that of the tragic Helen of Troy.

In Goddess, Helen must find a way to return the furious Greek gods to captivity on Olympus without starting a war and bringing death to more Scions and mortals. The Oracle warns that Helen will be faced with a traitor. It appears that Orion could be the one to betray her, although he captured her heart guiding her though the Underworld. She must decide if it is Orion she truly loves, or Lucas, whose life hangs in the balance.

Goddess is the last book in the Starcrossed trilogy, and I’m sad to see it end.  This is what the other two books have been building up to, and Goddess is such a good ending to the series!

What I love about Goddess is how well Angelini brought different stories together.  You have Greek mythology, of course, but you also see a bit of Guinevere, in the form of flashbacks.  Goddess is the book where we see the downfall of Troy, and the role the original Helen played. This is the book where we really see the connections between past and present, and I liked seeing how cyclical everything is in this world. The flashbacks worked really well in Goddess, and they really added to what was going on and put everything in context.

There were a lot of moments where I was angry and sad and happy.  I get why some of the characters acted the way they did, but it still made me so upset with them!

And since Goddess is a really unique twist on Greek mythology, prophecies are interpreted wrong, and things don’t go right for everyone at times.  I really liked how Helen and (most) of her friends came together to overthrow the gods and put an end to the cycle started so long ago.  I reakly do appreciate the creativity that went into how Helen managed to do what she needed to do.  And her ability to Descend into the underworld ended up being really interesting!  Especially because of Helen being a Worldbuilder and all.

I kind of wish the book had focused a little more on the entire group.  We do get to see different points of view, but Goddess is really Helen’s story.  I get why, since she seems to be the only one who can actually *do* anything…with a bit of help from the other characters, of course.  I liked that they were a team, and while that does come through in Goddess, I wish we saw a little more of it, because I really like everyone working together as a team.

I’m glad things worked out for Helen and Lucas, and I was sort of intrigued by Daphne’s lies that kept them apart.  I get why, but it really made me not like at her times.  Still, her story is a bit sad, and I did feel for her in the end.

Final Thoughts:

I loved Goddess, and Helen really is more confident in her abilities and in herself.  The final battle wasn’t what I was expecting, but it was a really creative way around things, and I’m glad that (mostly) everyone got their happily ever after.

ARC Book Review: Palace Of Spies

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Palace Of Spies CoverBook: Palace Of Spies by Sarah Zettel

Expected Publication Is November 5, 2013 by Harcourt Children’s Group|Expected Number Of Pages: 371

Where I Got It: it’s an arc from netgalley.com- this hasn’t influenced my review in any way.  Promise!

Series: Palace Of Spies #1

Genre: YA Historical Fiction

You can find Palace Of Spies on Goodreads|You can find Sarah Zettel on Twitter, Facebook, and her website

Goodreads Summary: A warning to all young ladies of delicate breeding who wish to embark upon lives of adventure: Don’t.

Sixteen-year-old Peggy is a well-bred orphan who is coerced into posing as a lady in waiting at the palace of King George I. Life is grand, until Peggy starts to suspect that the girl she’s impersonating might have been murdered. Unless Peggy can discover the truth, she might be doomed to the same terrible fate. But in a court of shadows and intrigue, anyone could be a spy—perhaps even the handsome young artist with whom Peggy is falling in love…

History and mystery spark in this effervescent series debut.

Palace Of Spies was a fun and interesting read.  Peggy is an interesting character, and I liked how her story was connected to her mother’s story, and how Peggy discovered what was going on with Francesca, who she was impersonating.

There’s a lot of intrigue and mystery, and I was definitely kept guessing throughout the book.  The mystery itself wan’t surprising, but I did like how we got there.  I liked the historical setting of the book, and I thought Zettel did a great job at showing how you have to be careful of who you can trust, because mysteries are everywhere.  And anyone could be a spy, and just when you think you know what’s going on, you’re taken by surprise.

I like that you get a pretty good idea of what’s going on without getting lost in the details, but I do wish that Palace Of Spies had a further reading section or something about Zettel’s inspiration for the book, because at some point, I’d like to read more about this period.

Even though we spend a lot of time with Peggy, and she’s pretty interesting, I also feel like we don’t get to know her very well.  It could be that we’ll get to know her better in the rest of the series.  I was also a little surprised that she didn’t seem to know much about Francesca’s life before impersonating her.  She seemed pretty well-versed in court etiquette but it also seemed like no one took the time to tell her who Francesca was, and what she was like as a person.

I’m not completely sure about Peggy as a spy, but I’m hoping she grows into her duties as spy throughout the series.

Final Thoughts:

I liked Palace Of Spies, and I think there’s a bit of adventure, with mystery and intrigue. I was actually reminded of Gail Carriger’s books, so if you like her. I think you’d like Palace Of Spies. Palace Of Spies gets 3 stars.

ARC Book Review: Bellman And Black: A Ghost Story

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Bellman & Black CoverBook: Bellman & Black: A Ghost Story by Diane Setterfield

Expected Publication is November 5, 2013 by Atria Books/Emily Bestler Books|Expected Number Of Pages: 305

Where I Got It: an arc from netgalley.com- this hasn’t influenced my review in any way.  Promise!

Series: None

Genre: Adult Fiction

Bellman & Black can be found on goodreads|You can find Diane Setterfield on goodreads and Simon & Schuster’s Website

Goodreads Summary: As a boy, William Bellman commits one small, cruel act: killing a bird with his slingshot. Little does he know the unforeseen and terrible consequences of the deed, which is soon forgotten amidst the riot of boyhood games. By the time he is grown, with a wife and children of his own, William seems to be a man blessed by fortune—until tragedy strikes and the stranger in black comes. Then he starts to wonder if all his happiness is about to be eclipsed. Desperate to save the one precious thing he has left, William enters into a rather strange bargain, with an even stranger partner, to found a decidedly macabre business.

And Bellman & Black is born.

Bellman & Black definitely had an interesting premise, and it had a great Victorian/Gothic/creepy vibe, but unfortunately, it was an okay read for me.

Setterfield did a great job with the Victorian/Gothic vibe of the book, and I wish there was more of a ghost story in the book, because…I was kind of expecting more of a ghost story.  If it’s there, it’s really subtle, or I somehow managed to miss it.  I was hoping for more of a connection between the opening scene and what happened throughout William’s life, but unfortunately, it just never came together for me.  I honestly didn’t get the connection between the two, and I was hoping that there would be some sort of explanation by the end of the book.

There was a lot of descriptions in the book, and all of those descriptions felt very overwhelming and hard to get through at times.  There’s quite a bit of detail in how Bellman’s mill is run and quite a bit of detail in the business Bellman opened with Black, and there were a couple points where I skimmed over the details.  You get all of these details, but when Bellman starts losing people, you barely got anything.

I also found that I didn’t care about what happened to the characters.  For me, there wasn’t anything that made me care about what happened to them.  It also took a while for the Bellman & Black part of the novel to even start, and I was disappointed that it took a while to see the creepy business deal they made.

Final Thoughts:

Bellman & Black wasn’t what I was expecting, and it’s just not the book for me.  The details made the book hard to get through at times, and I was definitely expecting more of a ghost story.  Bellman & Black gets 2 stars.

ARC Book Review: Sometimes Never, Sometimes Always

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Sometimes Never, Sometimes Always CoverBook: Sometimes Never, Sometimes Always by Elissa Janine Hoole

Expected Publication Is November 8, 2013 by Flux|Expected Number Of Pages: 363

Where I Got It: an ARC from netgalley.com- this hasn’t influenced my review in any way.  Promise!

Series: None

Genre: YA Contemporary

You can find Sometimes Never, Sometimes Always on goodreads|You can find Elissa Janine Hoole on Twitter, Facebook and her website

Goodreads Summary: Cassandra fears rocking the family boat. Instead, she sinks it. Assigned by her English teacher to write a poem that reveals her true self, Cassandra Randall is stuck. Her family’s religion is so overbearing, she can NEVER write about who she truly is. So Cass does what any self-respecting high school girl would do: she secretly begins writing a tarot-inspired advice blog. When Drew Godfrey, an awkward outcast with unwashed hair, writes to her, the situation spirals into what the school calls “a cyberbullying crisis” and what the church calls “sorcery.” Cass wants to be the kind of person who sticks up for the persecuted, who protects the victims the way she tries to protect her brother from the homophobes in her church. But what if she’s just another bully? What will it take for her to step up and tell the truth?

I am definitely intrigued with Sometimes Never, Sometimes Always, and I found Cassandra fairly easy to relate to.  In the sense that it was hard for her to be herself and speak up.  I also liked that she struggled with her English assignment because she wasn’t sure who she was and because she was scared to share the pieces of her that she was scared to share with other people.

There are a lot of issues in Sometimes Never, and there were times when I felt like there were too many issues going on.  It does come together (mostly) in the form of cyber-bullying, and you get a pretty good idea of what it’s like for everyone involved, especially for Cass and Drew.

I do wish we got more of the belief’s of Cass’ church, and what they believe.  You get a pretty good idea, but it would have been nice to see more of a contrast of Cass’ atheism and the beliefs of her church.  Also, we the get basics on why her family joined this church, but it’s another thing I wish we got more of, because it’s another thing that would have contrasted well with Cass’ beliefs.  Still, Sometimes Never isn’t preachy, and there the balance between Cass and her parents was pretty well done- even though it needed a little extra something. At least, it did for me.

It was pretty easy to see how Cass got herself into a little bit of trouble, and while she knew what the right thing was, it was also to easy to see why/how she got into the trouble she did.  And I know she never imagined the trouble her blog could cause, I also totally get why she needed to have place where she could have a different identity.  What started out as an innocent act of rebellion went so horribly wrong, and Poole did a great job with showing the impact cyber-bullying has on both the victim and the by-standers.

Sometimes Never is definitely about her journey, and it’s definitely predictable, but I did like seeing Cass change over the course of the novel.  I liked seeing how she was scared to be herself to sharing pieces of her life with her family, even though they aren’t accepting of what she has to say.

Cass was irritating at times, especially because she acted however people expected her act.  While I totally understand that, and while it didn’t bother me for the most part, it was a little trying at times.

Final Thoughts:

I liked Sometimes Never, Sometimes Always, and it’s a good look at a teen who starts a blog as a relatively innocent act of rebellion that later gets out of control.  There are a lot of issues in Sometimes Never, and I wish the book had focused on a few of them, because the number of issues that pop up are overwhelming.  Sometimes Never, Sometimes Always gets 3 stars.

ARC Book Review: Sorrow’s Knot

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Sorrow's Knot CoverBook: Sorrow’s Knot by Erin Bow

Expected Publication is October 29, 2013|Expected Number Of Pages: 355

Where I Got It: It’s an arc from netgalley.com, which hasn’t influenced my review in any way. Promise!

Series: None

Genre: YA Fantasy

You can find Sorrow’s Knot on Goodreads|You can find Erin Bow on Twitter, Facebook and her website

Goodreads Summary: In the world of Sorrow’s Knot, the dead do not rest easy. Every patch of shadow might be home to something hungry and nearly invisible, something deadly. The dead can only be repelled or destroyed with magically knotted cords and yarns. The women who tie these knots are called binders.

Otter is the daughter of Willow, a binder of great power. She’s a proud and privileged girl who takes it for granted that she will be a binder some day herself. But when Willow’s power begins to turn inward and tear her apart, Otter finds herself trapped with a responsibility she’s not ready for, and a power she no longer wants.

Sorrow’s Knot is definitely interesting, and I absolutely loved the mythology and stories in this world.  There’s a very Native American feel to the book, and I was pleasantly surprised by that because I typically associate fantasy with a medieval feel. I’m actually really curious about what myths Bow looked at (if any) and what her inspiration for the book is, because the whole premise is really imaginative and detailed.

I really liked the ghosts that Bow came up with and the story behind them.  It’s definitely creepy and haunting, and their story is definitely different than anything else I’ve seen.  The stories that Cricket shares, and the seemingly small world they live in, is definitely different.  This society is all female (except for Cricket), and they, for the most part, live in a part of the forest.  The world definitely opens up to Otter at one point in the novel, and it was interesting to see how the world changed for her.

It took some time getting into Sorrow’s Knot, and it wasn’t until halfway through that I got really interested in what was going on.  Things do move at gradual pace for quite a good chunk of the book, and while it’s worth it in the end, I also wish that I found the first half more interesting.

I really am struck by how much I loved the world building.  I didn’t really pay a lot of attention to the characters.  They were okay, but Bow created such an intriguing world, that I really couldn’t think about anything else.  It really is the star of Sorrow’s Knot, and I really can’t help but gush over how much I love the idea of magic in the form of knots and cords.  I did feel like the characters were a bit overshadowed by all of the world-building.  I will say that Cricket actually added a really nice balance in such a female-dominated world.

Final Thoughts:

As much as I loved the world of Sorrow’s Knot, and all of the stories that this society had, it also took me a little too long to get really interested in what was going on. Sorrow’s Knot gets 3 stars.

Mini Book Review: Rooftoppers

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Rooftoppers CoverBook: Rooftoppers by Katherine Rundell

Published September 2013 by Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers|Pages: 278

Where I Got It: I borrowed the paperback from a friend

Series: None

Genre: Middle Grade Historical Fiction/Adventure

You can find Rooftoppers on goodreads|You can find Katherine Rundell on Twitter

Goodreads Summary: Everyone thinks that Sophie is an orphan. True, there were no other recorded female survivors from the shipwreck which left baby Sophie floating in the English Channel in a cello case, but Sophie remembers seeing her mother wave for help. Her guardian tells her it is almost impossible that her mother is still alive, but that means still possible. You should never ignore a possible. So when the Welfare Agency writes to her guardian threatening to send Sophie to an orphanage, she takes matters into her own hands and flees to Paris to look for her mother, starting with the only clue she has – the address of the cello maker. Evading the French authorities, she meets Matteo and his network of rooftoppers – urchins who live in the sky. Together they scour the city for Sophie’s mother before she is caught and sent back to London, and most importantly before she loses hope.

Rooftoppers is such a cute book!  I liked Sophie and I totally wanted to adopt her.

She definitely had quite an adventure going to Paris to look for her mother, who everyone else thought to be dead.  I also liked the idea of orphans and runaways living on the roofs of buildings all over Paris.  I loved her relationship with her guardian, Charles, and how he let Sophie be who she was, even though others thought it wasn’t proper for a single man to be raising a young girl, and that she wasn’t acting the way a young girl should.  But I love that Sophie’s a free spirit, and that she believed her mother was still alive, even when others believed it wasn’t possible.

And so Sophie finds herself in Paris, where she meets Matteo and his group of rooftoppers.  They help her find her mother, while having some adventures along the way, and I did like seeing Paris from a very different perspective than what you’d normally see.

I’m a bit conflicted about the ending.  I mean, I didn’t like that the book just kind of ended with Sohpie meeting her mom, and that we got a little bit of what happened with Sohpie after finding her mom.  Especially because that’s what the book was building up to.  But it’s also a good place to end the book, and you’re wondering what did happen.  So it being a little open-ended is both interesting and slightly annoying.

Final Thoughts:

Rooftoppers is cute and charming, and I couldn’t help but like Charles and Sophie.  Rooftoppers gets 4 stars.

Book Review: Shine

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Shine CoverBook: Shine by Lauren Myracle, Narrated by Elizabeth Evans

Published January 2012 by Brilliance Audio|Run Time: 8 hours, 59 minutes

Where I Got It: Audible.com

Series: None

Genre: YA Contemporary

You can find Shine on Goodreads|You can also find Lauren Myracle on Twitter and Facebook

Goodreads Summary: When her best guy friend falls victim to a vicious hate crime, sixteen-year-old Cat sets out to discover who in her small town did it. Richly atmospheric, this daring mystery mines the secrets of a tightly knit Southern community and examines the strength of will it takes to go against everyone you know in the name of justice. Against a backdrop of poverty, clannishness, drugs, and intolerance, Myracle has crafted a harrowing coming-of-age tale couched in a deeply intelligent mystery. Smart, fearless, and compassionate, this is an unforgettable work from a beloved author.

While the premise of Shine was interesting, I wasn’t sure of it at first, because I’m not the biggest fan of someone trying to discover why their (former) best friend died.  But I liked Shine more than I was expecting, because the story is more than just Cat trying to figure out who attacked Patrick severely enough to put him in a coma.

Shine really gets into this very small, closely knit town,  I loved seeing what life was like in this small town, and what it was like for people living in this town.  It definitely felt realistic, and sadly, Shine is a book that I can see happening- mostly because it does.  There are so many different issues in Shine, and they are what takes center stage.  Patrick’s attack is what puts everything in motion for Cat’s change over the course of the book.

I wasn’t crazy about Cat’s secret.  It is why she’s no longer friends with her friends, and why she keeps to herself.  I certainly understand why she acted the way she did after it happened, but other than showing that we all have our secrets and that people can change, I’m not really sure why it was important to introduce it into the book.

I think my favorite moment of Shine was when Beef (which is a nickname, in case you’re wondering) wanted to know why Cat cared about what happened to Patrick, even though she hasn’t been friends with him in years.  Which is a good point, and I felt like we didn’t really get to see why she cared.  She can care about why someone would hurt Patrick, and while it didn’t same fake or anything, I also wish we saw why she cared.  Considering that there are so many other things going on, I felt like Cat’s investigation wasn’t a big part of the novel, even though we did see her poking around and asking people questions.

Robert really grew on me by the end of the book, and I’m not sure how I feel about the rest of the characters.  There certainly is a cast of characters, and there is certainly an assortment of them.  They’re all pretty distinct, but for some reason, I’m feeling really neutral about most of them.  They did come to life throughout the book, and really added to the overall character of a small Southern town.

Speaking of the setting: for some reason, it didn’t feel like the book was set in North Carolina.  I got more of a rural Tennessee or rural Kentucky, or maybe even a rural West Virginia vibe from the book.  But considering my traveling adventures are limited (and limited to the West Coast), I could be totally off on this.

I also liked that the mystery wasn’t obvious, and that you’re not completely sure what happened until you find it out.  Looking back, there were parts of it that weren’t a big surprise, but overall, the mystery of Patrick’s attack was really well-done.

I actually liked the narration, and something about Shine worked really well as an audio book.  One part was hard to listen to, but other than that, I thought Elizabeth Evans did a great job narrating.

Final Thoughts:

I really liked Shine, and was pleasantly surprised that the book was more about life in a small town, rather than a story of a girl who wants to know who hurt her childhood best friend.  I didn’t completely love it, but it is a great story.  Shine gets 4 stars.

ARC Book Review: The Iron Traitor

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The Iron Traitor CoverBook: The Iron Traitor by Julie Kagawa

Expected Publication is October 29, 2013 by Harlequin Teen|Expected Number Of Pages: 348

Where I Got It: It’s an e-ARC from netgalley.com- this hasn’t influenced my review in any way.  Promise!

Series: Iron Fey: Call Of The Forgotten #2

Genre: YA Paranormal- Fairies

You can find The Iron Traitor on Goodreads|You can find Julie Kagawa on Twitter and Facebook

Goodreads Summary: In the real world, when you vanish into thin air for a week, people tend to notice. 

After his unexpected journey into the lands of the fey, Ethan Chase just wants to get back to normal. Well, as “normal” as you can be when you see faeries every day of your life. Suddenly the former loner with the bad reputation has someone to try for-his girlfriend, Kenzie. Never mind that he’s forbidden to see her again. 

But when your name is Ethan Chase and your sister is one of the most powerful faeries in the Nevernever, “normal” simply isn’t to be. For Ethan’s nephew, Keirran, is missing, and may be on the verge of doing something unthinkable in the name of saving his own love. Something that will fracture the human and faery worlds forever, and give rise to the dangerous fey known as the Forgotten. As Ethan’s and Keirran’s fates entwine and Keirran slips further into darkness, Ethan’s next choice may decide the fate of them all.

I am a huge fan of The Iron Traitor, and I’m so glad I got an ARC of it!  I liked The Iron Traitor a lot more than the Iron Prince, and while I wasn’t completely sure about this series with The Iron Traitor, I’ve decided that it’s just as interesting as Kagawa’s Iron Fey series.

I really like the relationship Kierran and Ethan have, and it really reminds me of Puck and Ash.  Their relationship is definitely complicated, and I’m really curious as to how their relationship will be different in the next one, given the huge cliff-hanger of an ending.  Which is all I’m going to say about that.  Actually, in general, I’m wondering how things are going to be in the next one, given everything that’s happened in The Iron Traitor.

I really liked Ethan in this one, and while he still has some anger issues, I feel like he’s calmed down since The Iron Prince.  Not much, but a little, and I don’t know if it’s because he’s grown on me, or he’s changed or if it’s because it’s been a while since I’ve read The Iron Prince.  At any rate, Ethan was a lot less irritating in The Iron Traitor, as was Kenzie (although there were times when she did get annoying).  I did feel like the things Ethan learned in this book changed him a little.  But for the most part, he’s still him, even though he does have a better understanding of things that happened in the past.

I did feel like I got to know the characters so much better.  They REALLY came to life in The Iron Traitor, and while bringing characters to life is something Kagawa is just good at in general, I felt like the characters really changed and came to life in this one.

And I’m glad we saw Puck and the rest of the gang, because things seem so much more lively when Puck and Grimalkin are around.  I’m glad Puck and Ash and Grim were around to help out Ethan and Kierran, even though Kierran was acting like a moron the entire book. There were times when I was glad I was reading The Iron Traitor at work, because it ensured that I *wouldn’t* be yelling at Kierran. Because I definitely wanted to a few times.  I like Kierran’s dedication and loyalty to Annwyl, but he also did some stupid things because of it.

Final Thoughts:

The Iron Traitor really is a good addition to the Iron Fey series, and Kierran and Ethan are definitely the most interesting characters.  I can’t wait to read the next book, because I really need to know what happens!  The Iron Traitor gets 5 stars.

Book Review: Not A Drop To Drink

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Not A Drop To Drink CoverBook: Not A Drop To Drink by Mindy McGinnis

Published September 2013 by HarperCollins|Pages: 320

Where I Got It: Nook store

Series: None

Genre: YA Post-Apocalyptic

You can find Not A Drop To Drink on Goodreads|You can find Mindy McGinnis on Twitter, Facebook and her website

Goodreads Summary: Fans of classic frontier survival stories as well as readers of dystopian literature will enjoy this futuristic story where water is worth more than gold.

Teenage Lynn has been taught to defend her pond against every threat: drought, a snowless winter, coyotes, and, most important, people looking for a drink. She makes sure anyone who comes near the pond leaves thirsty or doesn’t leave at all.

Confident in her own abilities, Lynn has no use for the world beyond the nearby fields and forest. But when strangers appear, the mysterious footprints by the pond, the nighttime threats, and the gunshots make it all too clear Lynn has exactly what they want, and they won’t stop until they get it…

New York Times bestselling author Michael Grant says Not a Drop to Drink is a debut “not to be missed.” With evocative, spare language and incredible drama, danger, and romance, Mindy McGinnis depicts one girl’s journey in a frontierlike world not so different from our own.

I wasn’t sure what to expect from Not A Drop To Drink, but I really liked it, and it’s definitely different than a lot of other post-apocalyptic books I’ve read.

Like: Lynn is out in a very rural area, and there aren’t many people around.  You get an idea of what’s happened in cities, and why she and her mother are defending their home and pond from everyone who wanders by.  I like that Lynn and her mom are pretty self-sufficient, but I couldn’t help but wonder what would happen if either of them got seriously injured or ill, since getting the proper medicine would definitely be an issue.

One of the most interesting things about Not A Drop To Drink is that there’s a limited supply of freshwater, making it hard to come by. And nearby streams and such aren’t always reliable because of freezing in winter, and drying up in summer.  So she’s pretty lucky to have a reliable source of water in the pond at home.  It’s something that I can totally see happening, and I can see governments restricting number of children and rationing water and stuff to make sure there’s enough for everyone.

I also liked that McGinnis gets right to the point.  You know just enough to know what’s going on, and there’s no annoying filler or info-dumping.  I did find myself wanting to know more about the cities and some of the wars that were mentioned in the book.  You get what you need to know, and while it’s not necessary to know more than what you get, I still wanted to know what life in the city was like.

The book, I suppose, does move slowly at times, because you see Lynn’s daily life, but I honestly didn’t mind that things were paced the way they were.  I am surprised that Not A Drop To Drink is a stand-alone, because I honestly would have expected it to be the first of a series.  But McGinnis does a great job with keeping it a stand-alone, and it also works so well as a stand-alone.

Final Thoughts:

I really liked Not A Drop To Drink, and it’s an interesting and believable take on the end of the world as we know it.  I didn’t love it, but it’s a really strong debut for McGinnis, and I can’t wait to see what else she comes up with!  Not A Drop To Drink gets 4 stars.