Override by Heather Anastasiu

Override by Heather Anastasiu
Glitch #2
Release Date: February 12, 2013
Publisher: St Martin's Griffin
Source: Netgalley
Goodreads Stars: 4
Rating: Essential
Buy the Book: Amazon UK

Zoe is free. She has escaped the enslavement of the Community, disconnected from the hardware that had controlled her every thought and emotion, and evaded capture by the Chancellor intent on killing her. She is finally free, but she is far from safe.

Zoe and Adrien hide themselves from detection at the Foundation, an academy that trains teen glitchers to fight in the Resistance movement. Together, Zoe and her new team of superhuman fighters must risk their lives to rescue other glitchers and humans from the Chancellor's control. Challenges abound at every turn, and Adrien, who has become silent, distant, and tormented by his visions of the future, only adds to the growing certainty of defeat. But worst of all, as Zoe's team fights against impossible odds, distrust and betrayal leads to the terrible discovery that their greatest threat could already be lurking behind the safe walls of the Foundation.

Full of high-adrenaline action and shocking twists, Heather Anastasiu's Override is an exciting continuation of this popular young adult trilogy. - Goodreads

You should definitely check out my stop on the Override blog tour. Heather Anastasiu talks about what makes a good love interest, and I found it very insightful. There is even a mention of Jack and Rose, which may or may not have caused my stomach to flip flop. I cannot handle Titanic references.

Onto the actual book review. As some of you may know, I loved Glitch. I read it last year when it first came out, and I was one of the people who were raving about it. I was so excited for the sequel, especially after Glitch's action packed ending. Override, while I didn't enjoy it quite as much as Glitch, definitely did not disappoint me. It was fast paced, exciting, and Zoe gets even more badass!

Blog Tour: Override Guest Post and Giveaway

Today Heather Anastasiu, author of Override, is on my blog to talk about the hot topic love interests. What makes a good love interest? How did Heather work these requirements into her books? Find out below! And be sure to check out the giveaway, along with the other stops for this tour!

Summer Book Talk: Day One - Heather Anastasiu, Author of Glitch!

To kick off the Summer Book Talk with a bang, we have a much anticipated debut author here on the blog! I read Heather Anastasiu's book, Glitch, a couple of weeks ago, and absolutely adored it. It's definitely a must read book this summer, so make sure you get your hands on it when it's released at the beginning of August. If you want to know more of my thoughts on it, then you can check out my review of Glitch here!

Looking at the stunning cover, how could you not want to read it?

Anywho, let's get on with the questions and answers, shall we? 

1. Can you describe your book Glitch in three words? 
Dystopia. Superpowers. Love.

2. What inspired you to write a science fiction novel? 
I've always loved sci-fi because it takes the fringe of scientific possibility and pushes it to it's creepiest possibilities. When sci-fi is done right, the worlds are just believable enough to make your hair stand up.

3. When did you realise that you wanted to be a writer? 
I wanted to be a writer in forth grade once my teacher told me you could do it as a profession! That's why my first novel is dedicated to her. 

4. Do you base your writing on your own past experiences? 
Lol, not too much since I live in a very free society. But I did try to interject the themes of what I experienced as a teenager when I really the world of emotion was first really opening up for me and everything seemed suddenly so vibrant and alive.

5. Where do you usually like to write and/or read? 
My couch, for both!

6. What are some of your favourite books you’ve read recently? 
I just read and loved Beth Revis' A Million Suns. Another summer release I really enjoyed is Anne Greenwood Brown's Lies Beneath. (A: YES, Beth Revis' trilogy is - so far - AMAZING.)

7. Do you have any favourite movies or shows? Do these relate to the novels you write in any way?
DOCTOR WHO. I absolutely try to think like the writer's of Doctor Who whenever I find myself lacking inspiration. I was just rewatching some of last season's episodes this week, and even though I've seen some of them three times, they still give me chillbumps. 


8. What is one thing that you can’t do without when you’re writing?
Definitely music, usually set to the Pandora station of Epic Soundtracks. That way I can envision my scenes like in a movie, with emotional music playing in the background :) 


9. How is the writing process for you? Do you sit and write until you are out of ideas or do you set a schedule for yourself? 
I set a schedule. I try to get up and write for a couple of hours every morning at least. Sometimes I'll set word counts for myself to meet. Whatever schedule I set, I'm pretty good about sticking too. I try not to let up for even a day or two, because then there's too much resistance when I get back to it. 


10. What are your plans for the next book? Different genre? A standalone, or a series? 
Series. Glitch is the first in a trilogy, and I'm so excited that St. Martin's is releasing the books every sixth months, so readers won't have to wait so long between instalments.


Thank you so much for answering my questions, Heather! YES, to Doctor Who! Stephen Moffat is the bane of my life.

Be sure to check out Maji Bookshelf today for a Know Your Publicist post, which provides a lot of insight into the world of publishing. And Kindle and Me is hosting fellow blogger Adeeb from Bookville!

Glitch by Heather Anastasiu

Glitch by Heather Anastasiu
Release Date: August 7 2012
Publisher: St Martin's Press
Rating: Essential

In the Community, there is no more pain or war. Implanted computer chips have wiped humanity clean of destructive emotions, and thoughts are replaced by a feed from the Link network.

When Zoe starts to malfunction (or “glitch”), she suddenly begins having her own thoughts, feelings, and identity. Any anomalies must be immediately reported and repaired, but Zoe has a secret so dark it will mean certain deactivation if she is caught: her glitches have given her uncontrollable telekinetic powers.

As Zoe struggles to control her abilities and stay hidden, she meets other glitchers including Max, who can disguise his appearance, and Adrien, who has visions of the future. Both boys introduce Zoe to feelings that are entirely new. Together, this growing band of glitchers must find a way to free themselves from the controlling hands of the Community before they’re caught and deactivated, or worse. - Goodreads

This was aweeesomeeee *sings*

Glitch is a brilliant asset to the YA science fiction genre, and I bet a lot of you sci-fi fans out there will adore it. Glitch combines science fiction with some dystopian AND some typical fantasy elements - fully explained by science, of course -  and mixes them up in this fantastic story.

Zoe, the main character, was a badass. She goes through a hell of a lot throughout this novel, and at the end she manages to stay standing. Well, figuratively. Her powers and her character grow as she discovers more about the world she lives in, and it was a lot of fun to read about her struggles (I know, I'm evil) as well as her growth.

I think that, at first, the romance between Zoe and Adrien progressed a tiny bit too quickly. Then, for various reasons, the breaks were put on and I started to really enjoy their build up. There was an unexpected love triangle (I'm not sure why I didn't see it coming, because HELLO, look at the summary!) and I wasn't a fan of Max. That said, I do think that this love triangle was necessary for the story's progression as well as for Zoe's character growth. It didn't seem like it was just thrown in there for the sake of the current YA trend.

I absolutely ADORE books about people with powers or abilities. Don't you? In this world, some teenagers start to glitch if they begin to develop these abilities, and I thought it was a pretty awesome concept! We see several different types of abilities, and I hope to see a lot more in the future because this was one of my favourite elements of the story!

The world building in this was also great. You can tell that the author spent vast amounts of time on it, and she has thought this through to create a fantastic sci-fi setting.

If you're a fan of science fiction, then I think this book is a must read. It's captivating, fun and - at times - hilarious! There were several laugh out loud moments, a few of which I shared on Twitter and the people who replied thought it was awesome.

Glitch trilogy:

1. Glitch

2. Override

Also, have you seen the cover for the second book in the trilogy?!

It's not as pretty as the first, but it's a lot darker... A sign of things to come?