Stacking the Shelves (2)

Stacking the Shelves was created, and is hosted by, Tynga's Reviews. 

Books Received:

1. Alice in Zombieland by Gena Showalter

2. Spellbound by Cara Lynn Shultz

3. The Wolf Princess by Cathryn Constable

4. What's Left of Me by Kat Zhang

5. Ironskin by Tina Connolly

So that's all I got these past few weeks. I'm so excited about reading all of them, except What's Left of Me, which I've already read and it was GREAT! If you want to leave a link to your book haul post below, then feel free to do so. I'd love to see what books you got recently! 

The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness

The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness
Chaos Walking #1
Release Date: October 22, 2008
Publisher: Walker
Source: Bought
Rating: Essential

Todd Hewitt is the only boy in a town of men. Ever since the settlers were infected with the Noise germ, Todd can hear everything the men think, and they hear everything he thinks.

Todd is just a month away from becoming a man, but in the midst of the cacophony, he knows that the town is hiding something from him -- something so awful Todd is forced to flee with only his dog, whose simple, loyal voice he hears too. With hostile men from the town in pursuit, the two stumble upon a strange and eerily silent creature: a girl. Who is she? Why wasn't she killed by the germ like all the females on New World?

Propelled by Todd's gritty narration, readers are in for a white-knuckle journey in which a boy on the cusp of manhood must unlearn everything he knows in order to figure out who he truly is. - Goodreads

An older book, that every one of you has probably read already, but I wanted to share my thoughts on it. This was recommended to me by Daph, after it had been sitting on my bookshelf for almost a year, and last month I finally got around to reading it.

The Knife of Never Letting Go was so much fun to read, and I ended up loving it just as much as I had expected to, given the hype surrounding it. Patrick Ness has created a wonderful world to set his story, and one of the best parts of the book was the various settings we were introduced to throughout the novel.

The writing style is very different to anything I have read before. This is set in a futuristic society, that isn't even all that futuristic as people seem to have gone back to humanity's roots, and the people in this novel have their own original take on the English language. It took me a couple of chapters to get used to the writing style, but it took less time than I would have expected because the story and characters sucked me in.

This book is also fantastic because it has more adventure and action than romance, something that I adored about it. I think it could be enjoyed immensely by any gender, given the focus on the story rather than a love interest.

The Knife of Never Letting Go was a thrilling ride, and I cannot wait to read the sequel. I bought The Ask and the Answer a while ago, and while I'm not planning on reading it until I buy Monsters of Men, I am so excited to dive back in!

The Chaos Walking Trilogy:

1. The Knife of Never Letting Go

2. The Ask and the Answer

3. Monsters of Men

WoW: Iron Hearted Violet by Kelly Barnhill

 

Iron Hearted Violet by Kelly Barnhill
Release Date: October 2012 (US)
Publisher: Little Brown Books for Young Readers
Goodreads

The Stone Girl by Alyssa B. Sheinmel

The Stone Girl by Alyssa B. Sheinmel
Release Date: August 28, 2012
Publisher: Random House Children's Books
Rating: Enjoyable

Sethie Weiss is hungry, a mean, angry kind of hunger that feels like a piece of glass in her belly. She’s managed to get down to 111 pounds and knows that with a little more hard work—a few more meals skipped, a few more snacks vomited away—she can force the number on the scale even lower. She will work on her body the same way she worked to get her perfect grades, to finish her college applications early, to get her first kiss from Shaw, the boy she loves, the boy who isn’t quite her boyfriend.

Sethie will not allow herself one slip, not one bad day, not one break in concentration. Her body is there for her to work on when everything and everyone else—her best friend, her schoolwork, and Shaw—are gone. - Goodreads

Honestly, I'm not sure what to think of this one. As someone who has never experienced an eating disorder, and has had no close friend or family member experience one either, it's hard for me to say if it's realistic or not.

I enjoyed getting into Sethie's head, as I think it gave a great portrayal on how someone's mind works when they have such huge insecurities. But again, I don't know the mindset of an anorexic person.

I liked Janey, Sethie's friend, and while I do think she was a bit of an idiot, she came around. I also liked the ending, and found it a little emotional. That said, I wish it hadn't been the ending, and that another couple of chapters had been added on. I also wish that certain characters had been more supportive of Sethie instead of shunning her.

Overall, it was an enjoyable read because I liked getting into Sethie's head, and I liked the portrayal of her character. But it's not something I would recommend to everyone, as there were some difficult moments and it was very uncomfortable.

ARC received from Netgalley

New Releases: August 28 - September 3, 2012

Click the image to make it bigger! I had to shrink it this week because there are so many books coming out, and when I tried to adjust the height to match the width it made the image quality really fuzzy.

New Releases:

1. The Blood Keeper by Tessa Gratton
2. Enshadowed by Kelly Creagh
3. The Demon Catchers of Milan by Kay Beyer
4. Defiance C J Redwine
5. Embers and Echoes by Karsten Knight
6. The Dark Light by Sarah Walsh
7. The Stone Girl by Alyssa B Sheinmel
8. Starling by Lesley Livingston
9. Inbetween by Tara Fuller
10. The Lost Girl by Sangu Mandanna
11. Confessions of an Angry Girl by Louise Rozett
12. The Iron Legends by Julie Kagawa
13. Vanquished by Nancy Holder and Debbie Viguie
14. Debutantes by Cora Harrison
15. Spark by Brigid Kemmerer
16. Undead by Kirsty KcKay
17. Don't Turn Around by Michelle Gagnon

I think I picked the wrong time to go on a book buying ban.I would love to read most of these! I've already read The Stone Girl and my review is going up tomorrow. I CANNOT wait to be able to but Don't Turn Around, The Dark Light (mostly for the cover), The Demon Catchers of Milan and The Lost Girl! I also really want to start the Elemental series because it sounds pretty awesome. What books are you guys looking forward to? I'm sure there are a few on here!

Liar by Justine Larbalestier

Liar by Justine Larbalestier
Release Date: September 29, 2009
Publisher: Bloomsbury US Childrens
Source: Bought
Rating: Enjoyable

Micah will freely admit that she’s a compulsive liar, but that may be the one honest thing she’ll ever tell you. Over the years she’s duped her classmates, her teachers, and even her parents, and she’s always managed to stay one step ahead of her lies. That is, until her boyfriend dies under brutal circumstances and her dishonesty begins to catch up with her. But is it possible to tell the truth when lying comes as naturally as breathing? Taking readers deep into the psyche of a young woman who will say just about anything to convince them—and herself—that she’s finally come clean, Liar is a bone-chilling thriller that will have readers see-sawing between truths and lies right up to the end. Honestly. - Goodreads

I've been looking forward to reading Liar for a long, long time. I think I first heard about it shortly after I started book blogging, and it's been on my wishlist since I learnt it was about a compulsive liar, something that really intrigued me.

Now, while I haven't given this book the best rating, I can still honestly say that I liked it and I enjoyed it. I just didn't find it to be anything outstanding!

What I really loved was the fact that the main protagonist kept going back on her word, and after she gives a few examples of her previous lies you're not sure whether or not you can trust her. The whole book could have been a lie, you really don't know! And that is something that I really enjoyed. It really makes you think and question the narrator and your own thoughts.

Micah was bloody annoying, but she was meant to be! I didn't get THAT frustrated with her. I mean, I didn't want to pull her out of the page and tear her eyes out, if that's what you're thinking.

I have my own thoughts on what really happened in this book, and it's nothing like what Micah tells you. But everyone can make up their own minds, and I think that's awesome!

For those of you who have read the book, do you think Micah was lying about her "interesting" family history, or do you think that stuff's true? Do you believe any of the stuff she said she did? Let me know if you're on Twitter, because I would love to discuss this with you!

In short, it's a great book if you're looking for something that messes with you in a less creepy way than some psychological thrillers!

WoW: City of a Thousand Dolls by Miriam Forster

City of a Thousand Dolls by Miriam Forster

Release Date: February 5, 2013 (US)

Publisher: Harper Children's

Goodreads

Lies Beneath by Anne Greenwood Brown

Lies Beneath by Anne Greenwood Brown
Lies Beneath #1
Release Date: June 12, 2012
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Source: Netgalley
Rating: Bland

Calder White lives in the cold, clear waters of Lake Superior, the only brother in a family of murderous mermaids. To survive, Calder and his sisters prey on humans and absorb their positive energy. Usually, they select their victims at random, but this time around, the underwater clan chooses its target for a reason: revenge. They want to kill Jason Hancock, the man they blame for their mother's death.

It's going to take a concerted effort to lure the aquaphobic Hancock onto the water. Calder's job is to gain Hancock's trust by getting close to his family. Relying on his irresistible good looks and charm, Calder sets out to seduce Hancock's daughter Lily. Easy enough, but Calder screws everything up by falling in love--just as Lily starts to suspect there's more to the monster-in-the-lake legends than she ever imagined, and just as the mermaids threaten to take matters into their own hands, forcing Calder to choose between them and the girl he loves.

One thing's for sure: whatever Calder decides, the outcome won't be pretty. - Goodreads

This was one of the most boring books I have ever read. I managed to finish it, but only because a) I got it for review and I always feel bad when I DNF review books and b) I already have a less than satisfactory DNF list for this year and I didn't want to add another.

The plot didn't draw me in in the slightest. The premise sounds interesting but it just fell flat. I can't even explain why it did, I was just so bored. I think it was probably to do with the characters.

Calder, the main male protagonist and the guy whose POV we get, was a complete idiot. He took to stalking the love interest, even taking it so far as to camp outside her house. And for some reason she fell for him. I don't get the attraction, to be honest. He's broody, tries to kill her dad and is just plain dull.

There was also some awkward non-incest in there (you'll understand if you've read it) that completely turned me off. I was already skimming at this point, but once I read that I just didn't feel the urge to try any more.

So yeah, this isn't the book for me. At all. I wasn't connected to the story, the characters or anything, and I certainly didn't like the protagonist. Sorry this review was a bit dull, but I really don't have much to say about it because, much like my review, Lies Beneath lacks substance.

The Lies Beneath series: 

1. Lies Beneath

2. Deep Betrayal (March 2013)

New Releases: August 21 - 27

1. Such Wicked Intent by Kenneth Oppel - Goodreads

2. The Rise of Nine by Pittacus Lore - Goodreads

3. The Raft by S A Bodeen - Goodreads

4. Smashed by Lisa Luedeke - Goodreads

5. Life Happens Next by Terry Trueman - Goodreads

6. Two or Three Things I Forgot to Tell You by Joyce Carol Oates - Goodreads

7. Heaven by Alexandra Adornetto - Goodreads

8. Over You by Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus - Goodreads

9. Pizza, Love, and Other Stuff That Made Me Famous by Kathryn Williams - Goodreads

10. The Sweetest Spell by Suzanne Selfors - Goodreads

The only thing that has really caught my eye this week is The Raft, as I've been wanting to read it ever since I first saw the cover. Smashed sounds pretty good, and Over You is likely to be one I'll read when I'm having another contemporary binge, but other than that most of these are sequels to novels I haven't read. Will you be reading any?

Last Days of Freedom Giveaway Hop CLOSED

This giveaway is hosted by I Am A Reader, Not A Writer and The Elliot Review

Enter to win a YA book of your choice up to £10/~$16

shipped from Book Depository

Rules:

* Giveaway ends on August 22, 2012 *

* Open to wherever Book Depository ships *

* You must be 13 years old or over * 

Good luck my lovelies! This is probably going to be the last giveaway I do for a while because I'm lacking the funds right now. Thank you all so, so much for being such wonderful people and for following this blog! I love you all, even those of you who don't comment all that much *hearts*

Ashfall by Mike Mullin

Ashfall by Mike Mullin
Ashfall #1
Release Date: October 11, 2011
Publisher: Tanglewood Press
Source: Bought
Rating: Essential

Many visitors to Yellowstone National Park don’t realize that the boiling hot springs and spraying geysers are caused by an underlying supervolcano, so large that the caldera can only be seen by plane or satellite. And by some scientific measurements, it could be overdue for an eruption.

For Alex, being left alone for the weekend means having the freedom to play computer games and hang out with his friends without hassle from his mother. Then the Yellowstone supervolcano erupts, plunging his hometown into a nightmare of darkness, ash, and violence. Alex begins a harrowing trek to seach for his family and finds help in Darla, a travel partner he meets along the way. Together they must find the strength and skills to survive and outlast an epic disaster. Goodreads

There needs to be more disaster novels like this one! I don't know about you, but I love reading about natural disasters in fiction, because I love reading about how the government reacts, how the 'normal' people find the strength to survive and all that jazz.

Ashfall is action packed and quicks off right from the start when a huge rock (from the supervolcano) hits Alex's house and he's forced to leave. His parents had left earlier that day to go to his uncle's farm, so Alex is left worrying over them and he's desperate to find them.

Mike Mullin certainly knows how to pack a punch. There are so many gory scenes in this book, it's not for the faint hearted, and the author does an amazing job of making you feel for the characters involved. I felt ill at some points because, while the descriptions weren't overly graphic, there were some shocking moments and it really made my stomach tighten.

Trigger warning: While the act is not described, there is implied rape. I wanted to give a warning because some people may feel extremely unsettled by it.

Ashfall is a fantastic adventure story that will stay with me for a long time. Alex was a great character, and while he was a bit hopeless at the beginning, he really started to learn from his mistakes by the end. I should hope so, too, because those mistakes nearly got him killed numerous times.

I loved Alex's relationship with Darla. It didn't feel forced in the slightest and they really took their time to fall for each other. It was obvious it was coming, but I started to root for them way before it happened. Darla was the perfect match for Alex, and I really feel that they balance each other out. Darla is a BAMF!

I highly suggest reading this book if you're a fan of adventure novels, or if you're looking for a great story told from a guy's point of view. Those are rare in YA! I don't think there's anything I didn't like about this book because I was kept entertained all the way through.

I can't wait to read the second novel which comes out in October of this year!

The Ashfall trilogy:

1. Ashfall

2. Ashen Winter

3. Untitled

WoW: Flight by Alyssa Rose Ivy

Flight by Alyssa Rose Ivy

Release Date: August 16, 2012 (US)

Goodreads

A Midsummer's Nightmare by Kody Keplinger

A Midsummer's Nightmare by Kody Keplinger
Release Date: June 5, 2012
Publisher: Poppy
Source: Bought
Rating: Enjoyable

Whitley Johnson's dream summer with her divorcé dad has turned into a nightmare. She's just met his new fiancée and her kids. The fiancée's son? Whitley's one-night stand from graduation night. Just freakin' great.

Worse, she totally doesn't fit in with her dad's perfect new country-club family. So Whitley acts out. She parties. Hard. So hard she doesn't even notice the good things right under her nose: a sweet little future stepsister who is just about the only person she's ever liked, a best friend (even though Whitley swears she doesn't "do" friends), and a smoking-hot guy who isn't her stepbrother...at least, not yet. It will take all three of them to help Whitley get through her anger and begin to put the pieces of her family together.

Filled with authenticity and raw emotion, Whitley is Kody Keplinger's most compelling character to date: a cynical Holden Caulfield-esque girl you will wholly care about. - Goodreads

More awesome work from Kody Keplinger. As usual, she is able to perfectly capture a teen lifestyle and mould it to fit the deeper issue at hand.

Whitley is suffering from her parents' divorce, and she is dealing with it by acting out as a cry for help. In the summer before college, she's going to spend the summer with her dad... and his new family that she knew nothing about.

I loved Whitley so much, just like I love all of Kody's main protagonists. I did find her to be annoyingly judgemental at times, particularly when she was at a party held by one of Kody's other MCs. Besides that, I loved her and her relationship with her new step sister and her step mother, which had both positive and negative moments. I wasn't a huge fan of her gay best friend, as he seemed very stereotypical and I feel he could have been fleshed out a bit more.

Nathan is Whitley's love interest and her soon-to-be stepbrother. If you were reading my updates on Goodreads then you will know that I didn't like him AT ALL. He was a horrible person and he was a bastard to Whitley. I'm sorry, but I could not root for the two of them after he flipped out over stupid things and called Whitley a whore. No thank you. I'm not a fan.

Aside from him, I really did like this book. I absolutely love Kody Keplinger's writing, and while I didn't love this book as much as I loved The DUFF, I still really, really liked A Midsummer's Nightmare.

New Releases: August 14 - 20

The Repossession by Sam Hawksmoor

The Repossession by Sam Hawksmoor
Repossession #1
Release Date: March 1, 2012 (UK)
Publisher: Hodder Children's Books
Source: Publisher
Rating: Essential

34 kids missing. Vanished without a trace.

Believing she is possessed, Genie Magee's mother has imprisoned her all summer encouraged by the sinister Reverend Schneider. Beautiful Rian, love of her life, sets her free, and their escape washes them up at Marshall's remote farmhouse downriver. But why are there newspaper clippings of the missing kids pinned to Marshall's bathroom wall? And should they believe his stories about the experiments at the Fortress, an underground research station nearby?

Genie meets Denis. Missing two years now, but hasn't grown an inch. Rian is haunted by Renée, who insists she's not actually dead. Soon they discover the terrible truth about Reverend Schneider and worse, Genie is next ... and Rian can't do a thing to prevent it.

The Repossession is just the beginning. - Goodreads

I'm really pleased with how much I ended up liking this one! While it wasn't the most fast paced novel, I thought it was a really good read.

The Repossession has a bit of an Anthony Horowitz type feel to it, and I think that's one of the main reasons I enjoyed it. It's written in third person, and the point of view skips from time to time, as needed, and I think it worked really well this way. It wouldn't have been as good if it had been written in first person.

If you're a regular reader of my reviews, you'll know that I often have a problem with teenage romance in YA novels, as I often don't think it's realistic, or I feel it takes away from the characters. Genire and Rian, however, were totally awesome. This is teen romance done right! The two already had the build up and the history, and they were perfect together. They were still wonderfully independent from one another, and very much their own people, which I adored. I didn't even roll my eyes at them. *applause*

I think the pacing is a little off in the middle, and while I understand the need for everything to be included, I feel it could have been tightened a little bit to keep me interested.

The science fiction aspect of the novel was fascinating. It was explained in a way that was easy to understand, and there were no huge info dumps. The main characters often didn't understand what was going on either, so if you don't initially then you won't be alone.

It was a fantastic novel, and I'm now really excited to read the sequel to see where it leads, because the author left me on a mahoosive cliffhanger which I totally do not appreciate.

Now, I'll be right back. I'm currently sat under my duvet, trying to figure out if this cover is meant to glow in the dark.

The Repossession series:

1. The Repossession

2. The Hunting

Gods and Warriors Audio Blog Tour: Extract 6

In the turbulent world of the Mediterranean Bronze Age, long before the Greek myths, a boy and a girl battle for survival. With the help of three animal allies - a dolphin, a falcon and a lion cub - they defeat the forces of tyranny and withstand the elemental powers of the gods of land and sea. - Goodreads

Welcome to the sixth and final stop on the Gods and Warriors blog tour! I hope you all have been following along, and that you have entered to win the competition hosted over at The Clan. If you haven't, then here's a list of the blogs that are hosting the other extracts:

Day One: Wondrous Reads

Day Two: Writing From The Tub

Day Three: Thirst for Fiction

Day Four: The Book Addicted Girl

Day Five: The Overflowing Library

And here is my extract!

I think Gods and Warriors sounds AWESOME so far! I'm so, so excited about reading it, it sounds just like my sort of thing! Here's the awesome book trailer for the novel:

Shivers!

I hope you guys enjoyed listening to the snippet from the audiobook. Don't forget to visit The Clan and enter the competition to win a poster and a signed copy of Gods and Warriors!

WoW: Let the Sky Fall by Shannon Messenger

Let the Sky Fall by Shannon Messenger

Release Date: March 5, 2013 (US)

Publisher: Simon Pulse

Goodreads

Endlessly by Kiersten White

Endlessly by Kiersten White
Paranormalcy #3
Release Date: August 2, 2012 (UK)
Publisher: Harper Collins
Source: Netgalley
Rating: Enjoyable

Evie's paranormal past keeps coming back to haunt her. A new director at the International Paranormal Containment Agency wants to drag her back to headquarters. The Dark Faerie Queen is torturing humans in her poisonous realm. And supernatural creatures keep insisting that Evie is the only one who can save them from a mysterious, perilous fate.

The clock is ticking on the entire paranormal world. And its fate rests solely in Evie's hands.

So much for normal. - Goodreads

Paranormalcy was one of the first books I picked up when I first started book blogging, so having this trilogy end is making me feel a bit nostalgic! And while I didn't enjoy this book as much as the first book in the trilogy, it was still a great ending and it made me a little teary eyed!

Endlessly is packed full of fun scenes with Evie and the rest of the paranormals in her life. I loved the amount of time that was spent with the Fae, and I loved seeing more of Reth, who has really grown on me since the trilogy started!

I do think that things wrapped up a little too easily. It was pretty obvious was was going to happen, and there wasn't really a huge threat. There was one shocking turn of events, but that was it and I felt a little disappointed by the wrap up.

Evie also spent a lot of time pining on about Lend. Just shut up already, the paranormal world is ending and you're running around, tearing your hair out over some guy! So yes, I feel she could have been a bit more independent and she could have sorted out her priorities, but whatever. It was still really good!

I am definitely going to miss this series and IPCA and the faeries and the werewolves and vampires and everything else that came with it. It was a great trilogy overall, and it'll definitely always have a place on my shelf!

The Paranormalcy trilogy:

1. Paranormalcy

2. Supernaturally

3. Endlessly

New Releases: August 7 - 13

Stacking the Shelves (1)

Stacking the Shelves, as I'm sure most of you know already, is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews. I haven't been participating previously because I haven't been buying that many books, but I decided to start now because I will have a few more books coming in in the coming months. 

For Review: 

- Small Town Secrets by Molly Kate Gray Goodreads | Amazon

- Endlessly by Kiersten White Goodreads | Amazon

- The Forsaken by Lisa M Stasse Goodreads | Amazon

- The Repossession by Sam Hawksmoor Goodreads | Amazon

- The Hunting by Sam Hawksmoor Goodreads | Amazon

- ZOM-B by Darren Shan Goodreads | Amazon

- League of Strays by L B Shulman Goodreads | Amazon

- Breathe by Sarah Crossan Goodreads | Amazon

- Katya's World by Jonathan L Howard Goodreads

Bought: 

- Dark Life by Kat Falls Goodreads | Amazon

- Liar by Justine Larbalestier Goodreads | Amazon

- The Emerald Atlas by John Stephens Goodreads | Amazon

- Fire by Kristin Cashore Goodreads | Amazon

- The Ask and the Answer by Patrick Ness Goodreads | Amazon

As always, feel free to leave links to your hauls below so I can see what books you got this week! 

The Forsaken by Lisa M Stasse

The Forsaken by Lisa M Stasse
The Forsaken #1
Release Date: August 2, 2012
Publisher: Orchard Books
Source: Publisher
Rating: Essential

Alenna Shawcross is a sixteen-year-old orphan growing up in a police state formed from the ashes of Canada, the US and Mexico after a global economic meltdown.

But when she unexpectedly fails ‘the test’ - a government initiative which supposedly identifies teens destined to be criminals - she wakes up alone on a remote island reserved for the criminally insane.

Terrified and confused, she soon encounters a group of other teen survivors battling to stay alive, including Liam, a boy who will become her love... and her lifeline.

Soon Alenna makes the terrifying discovery that there’s more to the island (and her past) than she could ever have guessed... But who can she trust? And can she ever escape? - Goodreads

The Forsaken is a particularly engrossing debut that kept me reading until 4am. I just couldn't put the book down after I started reading it; I totally hadn't been planning to stay up all night reading it!

The setting and history of the world is so well developed and I have an undying love for the author for putting it all together. I love it when there's a history and explanation behind a dystopian society, and when a novel doesn't have one it really takes away from my experience.

I adore survival slash desert island type novels, and that's what this was for a while.

Honestly, I ignored the romance for the most part because there was very little build up or development before we got to the "I love you"'s. I think people will like it, but it's not my cup of tea and I ignored it so it didn't ruin my experience of the novel.

The only thing I didn't like about this novel, and it's not a big thing, really, was Gadya. Gadya was a terrible friend, and I wanted to punch her in the face because she made my blood boil.

Overall, this book is such a page turner and is wonderfully written. There were some really shocking moments thrown in there, and the author doesn't shy away from making big decisions! Please, PLEASE go and pick this up, because I think you dystopian fans will love it!

Blood Red Road by Moira Young

Blood Red Road by Moira Young
Dustlands
Release Date: June 7, 2011
Publisher: Margaret K McElderry Books
Rating: Essential

Saba has spent her whole life in Silverlake, a dried-up wasteland ravaged by constant sandstorms. The Wrecker civilization has long been destroyed, leaving only landfills for Saba and her family to scavenge from. That's fine by her, as long as her beloved twin brother Lugh is around. But when a monster sandstorm arrives, along with four cloaked horsemen, Saba's world is shattered. Lugh is captured, and Saba embarks on an epic quest to get him back.

Suddenly thrown into the lawless, ugly reality of the world outside of desolate Silverlake, Saba is lost without Lugh to guide her. So perhaps the most surprising thing of all is what Saba learns about herself: she's a fierce fighter, an unbeatable survivor, and a cunning opponent. And she has the power to take down a corrupt society from the inside. Teamed up with a handsome daredevil named Jack and a gang of girl revolutionaries called the Free Hawks, Saba stages a showdown that will change the course of her own civilization. - Goodreads

This book took a little while to get into because of the style in which it was written. Luckily, I had read The Knife of Never Letting Go shortly before so I was used to a different sort of writing style and language, but I wasn't used to having no speech marks. It was very strange at first, but I got used to it after a few chapters and then I got sucked in.

I love adventure novels, in which the characters go on a journey to find something or someone, and this is what this book is. Saba goes through a lot of stuff to get her brother back, and I adored reading about her journey. Again, it reminded me a little of The Knife of Never Letting Go, because Todd goes on an adventure sort of thing as well.

Saba was an awesome character, although she did annoy me a little in the beginning. She was incredibly mean to her little sister, and this got to me. I also really liked the secondary characters as well, including the villains! They were simply awesome.

There's a huge cage fighting sequence which I adored. It totally reminded me of Spartacus which is always a plus! Saba turned into a badass after this and it was when I really starting to root for her.

The only thing I didn't like about this book was Saba's little sister. Which may sound weird because I had just been complaining about Saba being mean to her, but she was really bloody annoying. She makes the same mistake over and over again, and caused so much hassle. If my younger sibling had acted like that I would have handcuffed them to a tree until I returned.

I do think this book would have worked really well as a standalone, and I don't see why it needs a sequel to be honest. Nonetheless, I'm really looking forward to the second book in the series which comes out in the autumn!