Mini-Reviews: Dystopian Sequels

One of my goals this year is to finish off some series because I'm in the middle of too many. Here are three series enders I've read so far.

IN THE AGE OF LOVE AND CHOCOLATE by Gabrielle Zevin is the third book in the series that began with ALL THESE THINGS I HAVE DONE (my review) and continued with BECAUSE IT IS MY BLOOD (my review).

I've mentioned in past reviews that Anya feels like an old friend, and I genuinely enjoyed catching up with her life. This is quite a dramatic end to the series too, with an arranged wedding, a near assassination, some well-deserved revenge, and the sweetest/most romantic scene yet between Anya and Win. One of my favorite reads of the year!

IN THE AGE OF LOVE AND CHOCOLATE is available now.

FTC disclosure: Bought

REBEL by Amy Tintera. Sequel to REBOOT (my review)

REBOOT is an action novel with a intriguing character arc involving Wren attempting to reboot her humanity. That process continues in REBEL, a sequel even more action packed than its predecessor. The stand-out moments for me, though, were the quiet ones of reflection where Wren has to consider what it means to be human in a post-human world.

The driver of the plot is book two is Micah, the (superbad) leader of reboot reservation, a stronghold for the reboots that's successfully managed to repel HARC. Wren feels safe and understood for the first time since her violent death, but Callum senses trouble. This leads them into territory well worn by other books in the dystopian genre and though I didn't find it as engaging as book one, it's getting rave reviews from goodreads users.

REBEL is available now. 

FTC disclosure: Review copy via Edelweiss

DIVIDED by Elsie Chapman is the sequel to DUALED (my discussion review part 1 / part 2).

Despite its comparisons to THE HUNGER GAMES, DUALED turned out to be one of the more unique dystopians I've read, and DIVIDED continues in that vein. The world Chapman creates is very brutal, a place where kids killing kids is commonplace and accepted, and our heroine, West, would do anything to survive. In the sequel, West is thriving, and she's offered a chance to secure her future with Chord as well.

In the first book, West struggled with her own self worth, and in the second, she's questioning the society more. We get answers to many of the world building questions that lingered as well as quite a few very well executed major twists. We see how cunning a fighter West is via clever action set pieces (I especially loved the hall of mirrors), and some smoking hot scenes with Chord. Don't pass this one up!

DIVIDED is available now. 

FTC disclosure: Review copy via Netgalley

See index of all dystopian reviews on Presenting Lenore

Top Ten List of Date Ideas for Smudges: Elizabeth Fama on Plus One (+Giveaway)

I read PLUS ONE recently and adored it. I wrote this blurb for Bloggers Recommend:

Don't call it dystopian, but Fama's thrilling new novel tackles a society where people have permission to either be out during the day (rays) or the night (smudges), but not both. While trying to do a favor for her dying grandfather, Smudge Sol breaks her curfew and goes on the run with a day boy, setting up an epic star-crossed romance. Plus One is heartbreakingly perfect.

So obviously I jumped at the chance to be part of Elizabeth's blog tour.

I asked Elizabeth to share with us what kind of dates a smudge might go on. And here's what she had to say:

I'm so happy to be on Lenore's blog! Can I admit that it has been a secret dream of mine for years?! I may even have written a novel with a dystopia feel just to achieve it. :)

The Top Ten List of Date Ideas for Smudges:

10. Watch the sun rise over Lake Michigan from a boat.
In the world of PLUS ONE, the open seas (and Great Lakes) are the only places that are not subject to curfew. (The curfew bell sounds exactly when the upper edge of the sun breaks the horizon, at sunrise and sunset.) Thus, many Smudges and Rays in Chicago may never have seen a sunrise over the water, unless they live in a high-rise along the lakefront or own a boat.

9. Hide from Hour Guards in the steam tunnels under the University of Chicago. 
Granted, the tunnels are really hot and humid, but in a pinch you can spend daylight hours there, all alone together. ("Warning: Check with a doctor before use if pregnant, in poor health, or under medical care. Breathing heated air in conjunction with consumption of alcohol, drugs, or medication could result in unconsciousness.")

8. Meet the 'rents! 
You're taking your relationship to a new level. Time to figure out the complexity of his family dynamics, and endeavor not to say something stupid, all while feeling feverish!

7. Hunker down under Lake Shore Drive and whisper into the night. 
Your feet near his face, his feet near your face. Hey, it's a lot more romantic than it sounds.

6. Run out of gas in another state. 
Oh, darn! *snaps fingers in dramatic resignation* You're stuck with each other now!

5. Look at the stars while lying in a field.
Contemplate something bigger than yourself, savor the moment of being quietly together. The Milky Way was on your bucket list anyway.

4. Sleep side by side in a cave.
Ugh, it's damp and chilly and sandy and there are bats! But the guy you're with is awesome. You're feeling warm after all!

3. Get a (Noma) makeover.
Mullets were in fashion once. Maybe it could happen again? Besides, nothing signals togetherness more than getting pierced, dyed, and tattooed together!

2. Negotiate a hostage situation. 
Anyone can grab a pizza on their date, but only power couples can navigate the game theory of kidnappings and come out on top.

1. Steal a baby. 
The basis for many great relationships in history! (Hmm, come to think of it, maybe there's only one other: Hi and Ed McDunnough in Raising Arizona.)

More about the book:

Divided by day and night and on the run from authorities, star-crossed young lovers unearth a sinister conspiracy in this compelling romantic thriller.

Seventeen-year-old Soleil Le Coeur is a Smudge—a night dweller prohibited by law from going out during the day. When she fakes an injury in order to get access to and kidnap her newborn niece—a day dweller, or Ray—she sets in motion a fast-paced adventure that will bring her into conflict with the powerful lawmakers who order her world, and draw her together with the boy she was destined to fall in love with, but who is also a Ray.

Set in a vivid alternate reality and peopled with complex, deeply human characters on both sides of the day-night divide, Plus One is a brilliantly imagined drama of individual liberty and civil rights, and a fast-paced romantic adventure story

Add to Goodreads

Buy at:

Amazon / Barnes and Noble

Author Bio:

ELIZABETH FAMA is the YA author most recently of Plus One, an alternate-history thriller set in contemporary Chicago. Her other books include Monstrous Beauty, a YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults selection and an Odyssey honor winner, and Overboard, an ALA Best Book for Young Adults, a society of Midland Authors honor book, and a nominee for five state awards. A graduate of the University of Chicago, where she earned a B.A. in biology and an M.B.A. and a Ph.D. in economics, she lives with (and cannot live without) her boisterous, creative family in Chicago.

Check out her:

Website / Twitter / Tumblr


Follow the tour: (a chance to win the book at every stop!)

March 31st - Fiction Fare
April 1st - The Starry Eyed Revue
April 2nd - Ivy Book Bindings
April 3rd - Carina's Books
April 4th - Presenting Lenore
April 5th - Shae Has Left the Room
April 6th - The Best Books Ever
April 7th - Teen Librarian Toolbox
April 8th - Love is Not a Triangle (Release Day)
April 9th - The Bevy Bibliotheque

Win the book:

I have one hardcover copy of PLUS ONE up for grabs. Fill out this form by April 11, 2014 at 11:59 pm CST. Restricted to US and Canadian residents. Prize shipped by tour operator.

FTC disclosure: Netgalley

Apocalypsies Love! Book Review: Chained by Lynne Kelly

Apocalypsies Love is all about me telling you what I loved about a 2012 debut book written by one of the amazing Apocalypsies. I also chat with the author to gain insight into their very favorite parts of their creation.

Today I am talking about CHAINED, a contemporary middle grade about a boy and an elephant in India who are both enslaved in a circus.

10 year old Hastin's sister is deathly ill and in order to pay for her hospital bills, Hastin accepts a one year employment offer as an elephant keeper in a circus.  It's only when he arrives in the jungle that he realizes how cruel his employer is to animals and that this evil man never intends to let him go back home.

Hastin forms such a sweet bond with Nandita, the elephant poached from the wild to be the circus' main attraction. He also has an ally in Ne Min, the elderly cook who teaches him how to care for the mistreated Nandita.  

There are so many highlights of this affecting novel - the interaction between Hastin and Nandita, the enlightening backstories of Ne Min and the mean animal trainer, and the bravery that Hastin shows through his entire ordeal.

As a reader sensitive to animal cruelty, I'm glad to report that this is kept at the bare minimum and never gratuitously. Still, I did shed some tears.

And now, an interview with Lynne!

What is your favorite scene in the book?
In chapter 27, when Hastin is talking to Ne Min in his house, and we find out about Ne Min's history, why he's been keeping it a secret all along, and how he knows so much about elephants.

What is your favorite line in the book?
I admit I still tear up a little when I read the line, "Never in my life have I been so afraid, but here I stand."

I teared up too! What setting was most fun to write?
I do love the jungle scenes but I think my favorite setting was Hastin's home in the desert with his family. It was a good challenge to make it seem special-- to us it's a small dirt hut in the desert, but to him it's home.

Who was your favorite supporting character - one you could see getting a spinoff book - and why?
Ne Min turned out to be my favorite character to write, because of his tragic backstory, wisdom, and compassion for other people and for elephants.

What has been your favorite part of your publishing journey so far?
That's easy--getting to know so many other authors along the way! I can't imagine going through this alone, and I've met so many awesome people, in person and online, who I'm so thankful for.

Thank you Lynne!

CHAINED is available in hardcover now.  If you'd like to purchase it as a Christmas gift for someone special, Lynne offers details on how you can get a signed copy or a free signed bookplate.

FTC disclosure: Bought
 

Book Review + Giveaway: Because It Is My Blood by Gabrielle Zevin

Note: This is my last review of Dystopian August. A recap with winners list to come on Sept 26th.

BECAUSE IT IS MY BLOOD is the second book in the Birthright series that began with ALL THESE THINGS I'VE DONE (see my review).  Scroll down for the giveaway if you haven't read the first book yet and don't want to be spoiled.

BECAUSE IT IS MY BLOOD opens with Anya in Liberty detention center, about to be released.  After the dramatic events of the first book, Anya is determined to go legit and put chocolate and the illegal family business behind her. She has small, immediate goals like finishing high school.  Win is now dating someone new and his father Charles' campaign is in full swing. Charles' competitor uses his bitter history with Anya to her advantage and Anya is forced to flee to Mexico where she come to realize that chocolate is in her blood and that she'll never really escape it.

The reason I'm giving this novel the writing merit badge is because of the way Anya seems like an old friend to me. Zevin writes in a sort of faux-memoir style with asides and notes to the reader. Judging by reviews on Goodreads, this method bothers some readers, but I love it because it makes me feel that much closer to Anya.

There are some developments that seemed odd at first and others which seemed almost too contrived, but in the end, I enjoyed how everything played out and how it all sets us up for the third book which promises to be fascinating.

Two big ideas are at play here - one is that alliances are ever-shifting and yesterday's enemy can be today's friend and visa-versa. The other concerns the nature of love. As Anya says, some kinds last forever and other kinds don't, "but even the ones that weren't necessarily everlasting were not without meaning," and "who and what and that you loved was your whole life."

Also? I love Win. Sometimes he seems far too good to be true, but I don't care.

BECAUSE IT IS MY BLOOD comes out on September 18, 2012. Find out more about the series at the publisher's website.

I have one prize pack up for grabs that includes copies of ALL THESE THINGS WE'VE DONE and BECAUSE IT IS MY BLOOD. US and Canada only. Enter via this form by Sept 13, 2012 at 11:59 pm CST for your chance to win.

See index of all dystopian reviews at Presenting Lenore

FTC disclosure: Review copy from publisher

Apocalypsies Love! Book Review + Giveaway: Crewel by Gennifer Albin

Adelice lives in the world of Arras, where Spinsters weave time with matter. Though she tries to hide her talent, Alelice slips up during her testing and is taken from her family to a Coventry to serve as a Spinster.

I adored the worldbuilding of CREWEL. To take such a fantastic concept (everything that exists is woven into the tapestry of life - and can also be unwoven and restitched) and make it so tangible to the reader is an amazing feat. The world of Arras is very Mad Men-esque, with its fancy clothes, political maneuverings, men-dominated society and constant alcohol consumption - but is also very dystopian.  Control is of the utmost importance, and to gain it, the Guild will use anyone and everyone as pawns to prove their points.  Whole sections of the weave of Arras are ripped (wiped out without a trace) just because the leaders feel like it.  Inhabitants are reset after such changes so that, for example, if one of your children is taken from you, you might be rewoven to believe that this child never existed at all. How very creepy!

Because Arras is such a different society, the characters often act in a way that would be puzzling in our world but is (likely) consistent to theirs. For example, Adelice has never been around boys (whole neighborhood are segregated to be girl-only or boy-only and families can only have boys or girls) and the idea of a purity code (Spinsters cannot have sex or they lose their powers) has been drilled into her. Once in the Coventry, Adelice promptly gets school-girl crushes on the only two young males who pay attention to her, setting up a love triangle that she tries to hide from everyone. This leads to Adelice discovering she has the power to Warp time (freezing moments around her so she can make-out without getting caught). It also leads to her acting irrationally (to my non-Arras eyes) in several instances, e.g. being insanely jealous of her suitor's former love life despite knowing him only briefly - oh and after getting some side action herself with her other suitor.  Those are some double standards you've got going there, Adelice ;)

After the BANG ending of CREWEL, I'm interested to see where the sequel goes.

And because Gennifer is an Apocalypsie (Debut Author 2012), we also get an Apoc Love interview to discover what Gennifer loves most about her own creation!

What is your favorite scene in the book?
I have to admit there is a kissing scene I'm rather fond of. One agent said it was the best kissing scene she'd ever read. Romance is not a huge element of Crewel, but I hope the scenes that include it pack some punch.

What is your favorite line in the book?

“Don’t worry. It’s a death-threat thing.”

What setting was most fun to write?
The loom rooms, because it was tricky to get right - and I'm still not sure I did get it - but I think the looms and how they function, what they do and look like were my most ambitious writing in the novel.

Who is your favorite supporting character - one you could see getting a spin-off book - and why?
I think Cormac Patton could have his own sci-fi Mad Men spin-off. I'd love to see how things work in his head.

What has been your favorite part of your publishing journey so far?
I have to say that getting to meet people who've read my book just because they wanted to is my favorite part. It's lovely to hear your sales and marketing people like the book, it's wholly different to hear that from a reader.

Thanks Gennifer!

CREWEL doesn't come out until October 16, 2012, but I have one ARC to give away to today to a reader anywhere in the world. Enter via this form by Sept 7, 2012 at 11:59 pm CST. Find out more about the book at the author's website.

See index of all dystopian reviews at Presenting Lenore

FTC disclosure: Review copy from BEA 2012

Author Interview: Gennifer Albin previews Crewel

For my spotlight on upcoming dystopian/post apocalyptic fiction series, I interview authors with novels coming out in the genre in 2012/13. These are exclusive first looks at exciting new works. Enjoy!

Genn Albin is here today to preview her upcoming debut CREWEL.  It's coming out Oct 2012 with FSG.

Here's the summary:

Incapable. Awkward. Artless.  

That’s what the other girls whisper behind her back. But sixteen year-old Adelice Lewys has a secret: she wants to fail.  

Gifted with the ability to weave time with matter, she’s exactly what the Guild is looking for, and in the world of Arras, being chosen as a Spinster is everything a girl could want. It means privilege, eternal beauty, and being something other than a secretary. It also means the power to embroider the very fabric of life. But if controlling what people eat, where they live and how many children they have is the price of having it all, Adelice isn’t interested.  

Not that her feelings matter, because she slipped and wove a moment at testing, and they’re coming for her—tonight. 

Now she has one hour to eat her mom’s overcooked pot roast. One hour to listen to her sister’s academy gossip and laugh at her Dad’s stupid jokes. One hour to pretend everything’s okay. And one hour to escape.  

Because once you become a Spinster, there’s no turning back. 

ETA the cover:

And the interview:

Why do you think people are drawn to “dark” stories?
I think it's human nature to consider the worst case scenario, as if imagining it will prepare you if it actually happens. Dark stories are a natural extension of that. They allow us to explore strange worlds from the safety of the page.

If CREWEL had a theme song, what would it be and why?
That's really hard, but lately I've been digging the song "Make a Move" by Icon for Hire. My husband met the band at work and pointed me in their direction. But I've always felt "Rabbit Heart" by Florence + the Machine was an excellent theme song too.

What fictional character from another book would your main character chose as her best friend and why?
You like to ask hard questions!

What are your top 5 Dystopian lit recs and why?
1. The Hunger Games - The dread that novel elicits within the first chapter is palpable. I couldn't stop reading until I was through all three books.
2. The Handmaid's Tale - I've always enjoyed this particular story because of it's unflinching look at how far humans will go to propagate the species.
3. Matched - This novel has its strengths and weaknesses, but I found Cassia's journey of discovery compelling.
4. Memoirs of a Survivor - I read Lessing's novel in college and I'm still thinking about it. It was one of the books that truly initiated by interest in women's studies.
5. Brave New World - The book is so ahead of its time. It was my first experience with dystopian fiction and its had a lasting impression.

What's on the top of your to-do list before the world ends?
More travel. I'd really like to go abroad. If I could I'd buy a boat and just start saling, but it would scare my mother-in-law to death. She's scared of pirates. No joke.

How does your book stand out from others in the genre?
Crewel isn't straight dystopian, it has sci-fi and mystery elements. But I think the setting of the world, which is sort of a futuristic Mad Men world, is what really sets it apart.

Thanks Gennifer!

______________________

Visit Gennifer's website

Add CREWEL to Goodreads

Follow Gennifer on Twitter: @genniferalbin

Book Review, Giveaway and Apoc Love! Interview: Struck by Jennifer Bosworth

17 year old Mia Price is a lightning addict living in Los Angeles in the wake of a devastating earthquake. She's caught the eye of two opposing factions: The Prophet and his followers who predict the end of the world and a secret society of seekers who want to use her to stop it.  Then there's the mysterious hot guy Jeremy - who warns her to stay away from both sides.  

Though it takes place in a quake torn city, STRUCK is not really a post-apocalyptic tale - more of a pre-apocalyptic set-up, if that makes sense.  Yes, conditions are bad - but schools are still open and serving lunch, most of the rest of the world seems to be getting along ok, and Mia's family is traumatized but not desperate.  The crux of the plot is Mia's role in bringing about a coming apocalypse, and in that it reminded me a lot of HARBINGER by Sara Wilson Etienne (tarot cards play a major role here too).

What really works for me here is voice and the ability to get inside the head of someone who has been struck by lightning so much she winds up craving it.  Via the writing, I could feel the lightning - which was quite a unique reading experience.  I loved how effectively TS Eliot's epic end-of-the-world poem The Wasteland is integrated.  

The religion aspect was ambiguous to the point I wasn't sure what the message was - or if there was supposed to be one at all. The major characters seemed simultaneously good and evil for most of the book, which made it difficult to know who to sympathize with until the end. I'm still processing how I feel about that. 

Because Jennifer is an Apocalypsie, we also get an Apoc Love! Interview today:

What is your favorite scene in the book?
My favorite favorite scene in “Struck” comes near the end of the book, so I won’t tell you that one because it’s a spoiler. Instead I’ll tell you my favorite scene from the first third of the book. In this scene, my protagonist, Mia Price, who is living in post-earthquake Los Angeles, goes to a tent city that’s been set up on Venice Beach to buy black market medicine for her mom. Bad things happen . . .

What is your favorite line in the book?
The very first line: “When you’ve been struck by lightning as many times as I have, you start to expect the worst pretty much all the time.”

What setting was most fun to write?
Ah, that’s a tough one. The most fun to write was the tent city (aka Tentville) on Venice Beach. If you’ve ever been to Venice Beach in L.A., you know that it’s a pretty crazy place already. After the earthquake, it’s a thousand times crazier because it’s where all the displaced who’ve lost their homes take up residence. The displaced are starving and desperate for clean water and supplies and medicine, and many of them will do whatever it takes to get those things. There’s a black market drug dealer who sets up shop in Tentville, and he is like the king of the beach. He’s the one my protagonist, Mia, has to deal with to get the meds her mom needs.

My other favorite setting is destroyed downtown Los Angeles, where all of the skyscrapers have fallen except for one, the tallest building which is called the Tower. I loved the idea of this city skyline with only one building left standing.

Who is your favorite supporting character - one you could see getting a spin-off book - and why?
The sexy bad girl of the book! Katrina Kale is one of Mia’s main antagonists. She’s a member of a doomsday cult called the Seekers, and she wants Mia to join them because she believes Mia is the key to an end of the world prophecy made by one of Katrina’s ancestors. The thing I love about Katrina is that she’s unapologetically ruthless, manipulative, and single-minded about her cause. She’ll do anything to get what she wants.

Hehe - Katrina was pretty awesome. What has been your favorite part of your publishing journey so far?
My first glowing review from a complete stranger. That was when I realized “Struck” was out there living a life of its own. I felt like I’d raised it from a baby, got it through it’s awkward years, and sent it off to college. That was nerve-wracking and gave me a bit of empty nest syndrome, but when I got that first awesome review I knew my creation was going to be okay out there in world. That some people were going to love it.

Thanks Jennifer!

______________________________

STRUCK comes out May 8, 2012, but I have two ARCs up for grabs for those who want to read it early.  To enter, fill out this form by March 6, 2012 at 11:59 pm CST. US and Canada only. Books donated and shipped by the publisher.

Find out more about STRUCK at Goodreads. 

FTC disclosure: The publisher sent me this book for review.

Series Giveaway: Escape from Furnace by Alexander Gordon Smith

The Escape from Furnace series follows Alex Sawyer, a petty hoodlum who gets framed for murder and sent to the hellhole Furnace prison from which no one has ever escaped.  It's a dystopia (limited)/horror blend that especially appeals to boys.

While I quite enjoyed the first book (Read my review of LOCKDOWN) the second was a bit too hardcore horror for me (Read my review of SOLITARY), so when I got a review copy of the third book (DEATH SENTENCE), I passed it on to my 27 year old brother in law who absolutely loves it.

For those horror fans among my readers (in the the US and Canada) I have a giveaway of the series today!

1 winner gets paperbacks of the first two books and a hardcover of the third.  Enter by filling out this form by Sept 3, 2011 at 11:59 pm CST.  Good luck!

Author Interview: Jennifer Bosworth previews Struck

For my spotlight on upcoming dystopian/post apocalyptic fiction series, I interviewed over 20 authors with novels coming out in the genre in 2012/13. These are exclusive first looks at exciting new works. Enjoy!

Dystopian August is thrilled to welcome Jennifer Bosworth. Her debut STRUCK is coming out with FSG (MacMillan) in Spring 2012 and the cover has just been revealed!

So let's check out that cover:

Here’s the teaser summary:

When Los Angeles is devastated by a catastrophic earthquake, seventeen-year-old human lightning rod, Mia Price, finds herself at the center of a power struggle between two fanatical doomsday cults, one that wants to save the world, and one that wants to destroy it . . . and she will be the deciding factor in which cult succeeds at their aim.

And the interview:

What do you think draws people to "dark" stories?
I’ve heard so many insightful answers to this question recently––due mostly to that infamous Wall Street Journal article and the ensuing backlash––I don’t want to make a blanket statement and try to encompass everyone. Instead, I’ll speak to what draws me to dark stories: addiction. Dark stories are my crack. They got into me at a young age, probably starting with one of those little Halloween picture books, or maybe with a movie like “Watcher in the Woods,” which was released from Disney, but is still one of the scariest movies I’ve seen. (Lenore's note: OMG - Watcher in the Woods! I still have nightmares from that!) As with most addictions, the more you feed them, the more powerful they grow. At ten, I started sneaking my parents’ Stephen King and Peter Straub and F. Paul Wilson novels and devouring them. Also, my dad owned a video store so growing up I got my hands on all kinds of delightful horror movies, the good the B and the gory. As far as drugs go, darkness was cheap and readily available.

At least no one ever tried to send me to rehab.

For me, there are two kinds of people: those who were exposed to dark stories as a kid and got the hunger, and those who were exposed and said, “Eeek. Not for me!” But what makes a potential “darkness” addict? Who knows? Maybe it’s in the genes. I believe what set me on the path was contrast. My life was safe. I grew up in a small town in Utah, where locking the doors was low priority, and nearly everyone went to church on Sunday. It was . . . pleasant. It was boring. I needed more than what regular life could provide. I needed conflict and danger.

I needed to see in the dark.

If STRUCK had a theme song, what would it be and why?
Thunderstruck, AC/DC. Yep, my old school rocker roots are showing.

What fictional character from another book would Mia Price chose as her best friend and why?
Mia’s a bit of a loner, so I think if the choice was hers she’d go for another loner, maybe Roland Deschain from Stephen King’s “Dark Tower” series. I could see the two of them sitting around a campfire in the desert, staring in the flames and ignoring each other. But as Mia’s god and creator, I know what’s best for her, and I would choose someone more like Eddie Dean from the “Dark Tower,” a tenacious chatterbox who wouldn’t give her a moment’s peace. She’s spent too much time alone. She needs a loudmouth friend like Eddie.

What are your top 5 Dystopian lit recs and why?
1. “The Dark Tower” series, by Stephen King – I don’t know if you can actually call this dystopian. It’s more like a post-apocalyptic fantasy/horror western, but I take every opportunity I get to talk about how much I love this series. It begins with an aging gunslinger pursuing a mysterious man in black across the desert of a barren world that’s “moved on,” and takes you to so many places over the course of 7 ever-lengthening books that by the end––which is one of the greatest endings of all time, if you ask me––you feel like you’ve lived the books. 

2. Little Brother, Cory Doctorow – This book does not take place in a nightmarish future far, far away. It takes place in a nightmarish future that could happen tomorrow. Hell, it might already be happening now and we just don’t know it. Seventeen-year-old Marcus and his friends are in the wrong place at the wrong time during a terrorist attack, and are taken into custody by Homeland Security for interrogation. Marcus is released and warned never to speak of what happened because Big Brother will be watching him always. The problem is, Homeland Security didn’t release his best friend. This book redefined the way I think about technology, terrorism, freedom, and dissent. Unforgettable.


3. “The Long Walk,” Richard Bachman – This novella, written by Stephen King under the pen name Richard Bachman, has haunted me since I was eleven. It’s about 100 boys who enter a walking competition. All they have to do is walk. But if they stop for too long, they’ll be shot to death. The last one standing, or in this case, walking, wins. The rest of them . . . well, they lose. The situation was riveting, but learning what motivated the boys to enter such a contest was the part that really fascinated me.

4. “Z For Zachariah,” Robert C. O’Brien – Again, this is post-apocalyptic rather than dystopian, but it’s still about a crappy future. In the aftermath of a nuclear holocaust, 16-year-old Ann is left completely alone in the geographically protected valley where her home is located. But when a dangerous stranger arrives in town, she realizes being the last person on earth wasn’t so bad. It’s a thrilling novel, and I appreciate the simple, straightforward writing, which doesn’t get in the way of the story.

5. “Blood Red Road,” Moira Young – This is the most recent dystopian/post-apocalyptic novel I’ve read, so it’s fresh in my mind, but that’s not why I’m including it on the list. This book is simply incredible. It’s like “Mad Max” meets Cormac McCarthy’s “The Road.” It practically has its own language, which is at once harsh and poetic. Many words are missing one or more letters, and there’re no quotes to indicate dialogue. The heroine is a tough as nails warrior who could give Katniss Everdeen a run for her money, and she kicks an epic amount of ass. Also, there’s an ever so subtle supernatural slant, which is my favorite spice. I hope the YA reading public embraces this book.

What's on the top of your to-do list before the world ends? (you know, in case it ends next year)
Well, having a book published is on that to-do list, but whether STRUCK is released before The End is up to fate. Next on my bucket list is a trip to Romania. I’d also love to rent a haunted castle someday, just for kicks.

What sets your novel apart from others in the genre?
I’m so glad you asked this question. I should start off by asserting that STRUCK is not strictly dystopian, so that’s the first distinction. But post-apocalyptic and dystopian stories share so many themes and fundamentals that there isn’t much point splitting hairs.

There are two major elements that set STRUCK apart from other dystopian novels.

•Dystopian novels and post-apocalyptic novels are both about nightmare futures, but dystopian tends to make a jump ahead in time, usually of several decades, if not hundreds of years. STRUCK begins one month after a massive earthquake has destroyed much of Los Angeles.

Dystopian novels, by and large, are about the terrible places that fear can take us if we get on board. When you begin reading a dystopian novel, you’ve already arrived at the destination. In STRUCK, you get a glimpse of the kind of fear and chaos that puts people on a train to Dystopialand.

•The second thing that sets STRUCK apart is the supernatural thread that runs through the story. As you’ll surmise from reading my top 5 list, I’m a Stephen King fan of the Annie Wilkes variety. Okay, maybe not that obsessive, but I’m not ashamed to say I love the man. He’s inspired me and taught me more than any other writer. In many ways, STRUCK is my homage to his “Dark Tower” series.

Now, one thing I learned from Stephen King is that the supernatural has a place even in tales of gritty reality. What would “The Stand” have been without Randall Flagg and the shared dreams of the survivors? It would still have been a great book, but it wouldn’t have been, for want of a better word, magical.

STRUCK is a story of tragedy. It’s a story about what happens when a city crumbles in the space of three minutes. It’s a story of temporary insanity and religious obsession and what happens when people let fear take root, and when they let the wrong people do their thinking for them.

But it’s also a story about the mysteries of our natural world; about the destructive and creative potential of something as common as lightning. Magic is often the word people use when they don’t understand something, and there are few things more misunderstood or mystifying than lightning.

So, at its heart, STRUCK is a story about magic, and that sets it apart from other dystopian novels.

Thanks Jennifer - sounds so intriguing!

Visit Jennifer’s website
Follow Jennifer on twitter @JennBosworth
Add STRUCK to your GoodReads wishlist
Jennifer is also a part of Brave New Words, a group blog for YA sci-fi debuts in 2012

Book Review and Giveaway: All These Things I've Done by Gabrielle Zevin

In 2083, chocolate and caffeine are illegal and Anya’s family has grown rich and powerful due to their criminal chocolate dealings.  Orphaned due to mob violence, Anya has her hands full taking care of her siblings and bedridden grandmother.  But things get even more complicated when poisoned chocolate enters the supply chain and Anya begins a forbidden relationship with the new District Attorney’s son Win.

I liked Anya immediately. She feels very responsible for her family, and has promised God that she’ll be a good girl if nothing bad happens to them. Even though is narrative is first person, the way the story is told, it’s almost like a much older Anya is reminiscing about her misspent youth to her own grandchildren in a distant future.  (Here and there she weaves in some meta-fiction techniques like mentioning when she is foreshadowing, etc.)

I should say that it’s not necessarily dystopian to live in a society where chocolate is outlawed, but Zevin does a really great job of showing us a crumbling future New York City which is on the brink of total collapse.  Museums are long gone, replaced by underground nightclubs.  People pay high fees for every liter of water they run out of their taps.  And juvenile detention is rife with torture and corruption.

Many early reviews have stated that this installment of the trilogy seems to be all set-up and no action – and I assume they mean in regards to Anya’s crime family and the fact that she’s not yet at the helm of it.  I was quite satisfied by the plot that pitted Anya against both Win’s father (who makes a deal with her regarding dating his son) and enemies within her own family who may or may not be trying to bring the whole chocolate empire down so that foreign concerns can get more market share.

That said, how well you like it may depend on how enchanted you are with Anya’s voice.  And oh how I was …

Zombie chickens say: Don’t miss this one, but be careful what you eat.

ALL THESE THINGS I’VE DONE will be published in just one month on September 6, 2011. It’s the first book of the Birthright Trilogy. Find out more about it, read a 30 page excerpt and see a behind the scenes video at the publisher's website.  Add it to your GoodReads wishlist.

Song for the Ultimate Dystopian Playlist: Chocolate by Snow Patrol. Sample lyric: “What have I done? It's too late for that. What have I become? Truth is nothing yet. A simple mistake starts the hardest time. I promise I'll do anything you ask...this time.”

Macmillan is sponsoring a giveaway of a prize pack that includes an ARC of the book as well as a package of chocolate-covered espresso beans. For a chance to win, fill out this form by August 13^th at 11:59 pm CST.  US and Canada only.  

See index of all dystopian reviews on Presenting Lenore

Book Review: Solitary (Escape from Furnace Book 2) by Alexander Gordon Smith

Back in February, I reviewed Book 1 of this series, and though it squarely aimed at teen boys and horror fans (of which I am neither), I really liked the main character Alex (a bad boy and a bully, but not deserving of the fate worse than death that is furnace prison) and his quest to make an impossible prison break.

Book 2 starts up immediately where its predecessor left off - and if you don't want to be spoiled, better stop reading now.

Alex's plan did get him and his buddy Zee out of the main population, but the river they found leads down, and they are caught and thrown into solitary. Much of the book addresses the madness that sets in when you are stuck in small, claustrophic hole in the dark.  Since this is one of my worst nightmares, I really had to disassociate myself from the book in order to keep reading.  Alex once again comes up with a clever escape plan, but this time, it wasn't as fun to follow as the first time - maybe just because the creatures that inhabit the depths of the prison were just so distasteful.

Though I'd still recommend this installment to the aforementioned teen boys and horror fans, I think I've had quite enough, thanks.  I might read the end of the third book just to see how Alex is faring by then, but I just can't follow his journey anymore.

2 Zombie Chickens - Entertaining (for some at least) but not essential.

Series order:

LOCKDOWN (read my review)
SOLITARY (coming December 2010/US, already out/UK)
DEATH SENTENCE (coming June 2011/US, already out/UK)

Find out more about the series at the author's website.

See index of all dystopian reviews on Presenting Lenore

Book Review: This Gorgeous Game by Donna Freitas

Olivia Peters is overjoyed. Her writing has caught the eye of a famous author/priest who wants to be her mentor. At first, Olivia is so starstruck by her writing idol, she never says no when he suggests getting together to work on her story, even when these meetings become more and more frequent. Soon though, Olivia feels overwhelmed by his attention and starts getting the feeling that his intentions may not be as honorable as they appear.

Intense. That’s the first word that comes to mind when I think about this novel. The atmosphere is heavy and foreboding, even at the beginning. Thanks to a prologue that starts in media res, the audience is already wary of Father Mark at the start of chapter 1, even as Olivia is excited to make his acquaintance.

I really liked how the introduction of Jamie as a love interest for Olivia underlined the fact that something was very wrong with Father Mark. Olivia’s scenes with Jamie are as lighthearted and care-free as her scenes with Father Mark are oppressive.

My only real criticism with the book is the handling of the climax and conclusion. The wrap-up is perfunctory, which robs us of a really cathartic release after such an involving narrative.

THIS GORGEOUS GAME is now available in hardcover. Find out more about it at the author's blog.

Book Review: Comet in Moominland by Tove Jansson

So my friend Ann is head over heels in love with the Moomins and wants me to go with her to visit their theme park in Finland. Obviously, I needed to at least read one of the books in the series as to avoid something like the Sound of Music Tour incident (in which I paid $30 to go on a tour of the shooting locations for a movie I had not seen yet and hear 70 screaming fans shout "That's the field that she danced in!!"). Ann suggested I start with this one.

Basically, Moomin, a fantasy creature, finds out a comet is on its way to Moominvalley and he sets out on a journey to The Lonely Mountains to ask the scientists at the observatory when it's coming and what he can do about it. On the way he has a bunch of fun adventures escaping dangers such as whirlpools, hungry eagles, bushes, and crocs (apparently you merely have to throw a pair of woolly trousers to fend off a herd of crocs). Oh and he gets a crush on the Snork maiden (that's her pinning a star on Moomin on the cover).

This is really quite an absurd story told in a very matter-of-fact manner. It's silly in the best possible way - a juxtaposition of inventive situations and bizzare characters that never fails to get you giggling and shaking your head. My favorite character might have been the philosopher Muskrat who comes to live with the Moomins because their bridge-building activities destroyed his house - but maybe that's just because I love the drawing of him getting drenched in the rain.

In any case, my reading of this book is excellent timing because the series was just rereleased this past week by FSG and Square Fish! You can read a bunch of posts celebrating Moomin week over at Tor.com too.

Book Review: Mathilda Savitch by Victor Lodato

Mathilda Savitch’s beautiful older sister Helene has been dead a year and she and her parents can’t get over it. Searching for some sort of closure, Mathilda breaks into Helene’s e-mail account and contacts one of Helene’s boyfriends, hoping he can provide answers to the mystery of Helene’s demise.

This novel is all about what grief can do to families. How it pulls them apart and shuts them down. Mathilda’s parents, especially her mother, can’t deal. They withdraw, and Mathilda resorts to acting out to get their attention – dropping plates, inviting boys over to spend the night in her basement, chopping off her hair.

Because the novel is from the limited viewpoint of a rather disturbed pre-teen, whether you enjoy the novel or not depends on how taken you are with the narrative voice. Mathilda has that particular self-absorption common to her girls her age (never explicitly mentioned, but likely 12) as well as a morbid curiosity and a tendency towards precocious observations that make her seem wise beyond her years.

“Sometimes I feel bad for the house as much as anything. Standing there completely stuck and having to put up with all of us. Do you ever think of the lives of houses? I mean the walls and the doors themselves, not the people inside. (…) The thing is, I don’t want to end up like Ma and Da. In a house with books and dust and all the love gone out of it. (…) I want something else, but the words for it haven’t been invented yet. At this point it’s just a bunch of mumbling in my stomach.” (p 218-219, ARC, may vary from final published version)

There’s really not much in the way of plot, and although the visit to Helene’s boyfriend yields a revelation of sorts, you aren’t entirely sure you can trust it, because Mathilda can be quite the unreliable narrator.

It’s ok, but there are any number of better books about grief and any number of wacked out characters that are more fun to spend time with than Mathilda.

MATHILDA SAVITCH was released in paperback this week. Find out more about it at the author’s website.

Book Review: Lockdown (Escape from Furnace Book 1) by Alexander Gordon Smith

In a dystopian (alternate? future?) England, gang violence has gotten so bad that the state has sanctioned a hellish underground prison for young felons dubbed the Furnace. Once a teen criminal has been sentenced there, it’s for life – with no chance of ever seeing the sun again. One inmate is 15 year old Alex Sawyer. Alex may be a thief and a bully, but he didn’t kill his best friend – he was framed. And his only hope for justice and redemption is escape from a place no one has ever escaped from.

LOCKDOWN is very much a plot-driven action/horror spectacle aimed squarely at teen boys. You’re not going to find a lot of deep exploration of weighty themes here, but you are taken on quite the thrill ride as Alex navigates his way through his new hellish environment and plots his seemingly impossible escape. There are some very scary supernatural elements at work in the prison, and the main motivation to keep reading in spite of the nightmare-inducing setting is to discover just what the warden does with kids that are “taken” from their cells at night, never to return. And of course to hope that Alex and his buddies find a way out.

Being that there are two more books in the ESCAPE FROM FURNACE trilogy, SOLITARY and DEATH SENTENCE (coming in 2010 and 2011 in the US, but already released in the UK), this first book definitely takes over the set-up role, and although there is a measure of closure, the story you came for (i.e. escaping) is most definitely not complete (must get sequels now!).

Find out more about the trilogy on the author’s website. Also, read an interview with the author (where he mentions that dystopian classic 1984 and its "complex relationship between desperation and hope" was an influence on his work) at the publisher's website.

My Rating – 3 Zombie Chickens: Well Worth Reading (especially if you are into horror, or are a teenage boy)

See index of all dystopian reviews on Presenting Lenore

Book Review: Last Last Chance by Fiona Maazel

Lucy Clark is 29, drug addled, and the daughter of a scientist responsible for developing a lethal strain of plague that threatens to destroy the human race. But who has time to worry about the plague when you’re dating a chicken executioner looking for a womb to host his dead wife’s frozen eggs, are still pining for your lost love who married your best friend, and have to take care of your 12 year old death-obsessed half sister, crack-addicted CEO mother, and Norwegian grandmother who charmingly spends her time charting people’s past lives?

I requested this tragicomedy from the LibraryThing ER program because it promised to be bizarre and apocalyptic – an irresistible combination. Lucy narrates in first person, and most of the crazy comes from seeing the world through her unfocused eyes, though most of the other characters know how to bring it too.

It’s a dense novel – reading it is akin to picking your way through the underbrush of a wild, virgin forest – and after having spent most of my literary escapades lately careening through vast expanses of open meadows complete with prancing ponies – it took quite a bit of patience to get through. But if you can summon up the patience, it is richly rewarding. Even with a zany, preposterous (one hopes at least) plot, at the sentence level the writing is breathtaking. And Debut Author Fiona Maazel juggles the trippy narrative arcs of the characters with ease, even giving past lives a chance to tell their own stories.

Hard to choose a favorite scene, but I loved when Lucy talks about the books 12 year old Hannah is reading/defacing:

Home is me watching her rip pages from When Zachary Beaver Came to Town. I have begun canvassing moms at the plant to see what their kids are reading, just to keep Hannah on par. Kathleen, who works in legal, said her thirteen year old went nuts for The Face on the Milk Carton, which is about a lactose intolerant girl, who in the thrall of dairy addiction, reaches for the very carton bearing her likeness, which suggests, in all probability that she was kidnapped as a toddler. I imagine the degree of wish fulfillment advanced in this novel has girls all over America going wonky. Certainly Hannah would love to think she’s been kidnapped – that her real family is living in a hot-air balloon traversing the skies of Malaysia. Yesterday I found her editing with black marker a page from the YA novel Rat Boys: A Dating Experience. The premise? Girls needing prom dates abracadabra rats into prom dates, only Hannah does not like the word date, so she’s swapped it out for the considerably more topical death. Girls needing prom death turn rats into prom death. (p. 138)

And the end? Well, it’s not wrapped neatly in a bow, but it does fit the title. Because what is a last last chance anyway? Infinite chances really. Which is the perfect theme to tie all the disparate threads of this novel together – the addict trying to get clean, reincarnation, and even a slate-wiping mega disaster like a plague or the flood that killed everyone but Noah’s family on the ark.

Last Last Chance is out in paperback now. Find out more about it at http://www.lastlastchance.com/

Waiting On Wednesday (35) Mathilda Savitch by Victor Lodato

Most of my WoW picks come from me being really exited about a premise, but this one caught my eye because the character of Mathilda sounds so interesting. I've read a couple of early reviews that claim she has a very memorable voice and makes a ton of keen observations. Will she enter my favorite character hall of fame?

Summary from FSG/Macmillan

Fear doesn’t come naturally to Mathilda Savitch. She prefers to look right at the things nobody else can bring themselves to mention: for example, the fact that her beloved older sister is dead, pushed in front of a train by a man still on the loose. Her grief-stricken parents have basically been sleepwalking ever since, and it is Mathilda’s sworn mission to shock them back to life. Her strategy? Being bad.

Mathilda decides she’s going to figure out what lies behind the catastrophe. She starts sleuthing through her sister’s most secret possessions—e-mails, clothes, notebooks, whatever her determination and craftiness can ferret out. More troubling, she begins to apply some of her older sister’s magical charisma and powers of seduction to the unraveling situations around her. In a storyline that thrums with hints of ancient myth, Mathilda has to risk a great deal—in fact, has to leave behind everything she loves—in order to discover the truth.

Mathilda Savitch bursts with unforgettably imagined details: impossible crushes, devastating humiliations, the way you can hate and love your family at the same moment, the times when you and your best friend are so weak with laughter that you can’t breathe. Startling, funny, touching, odd, truthful, page-turning, and, in the end, heartbreaking, Mathilda Savitch is an extraordinary debut. Once you make the acquaintance of Mathilda Savitch, you will never forget her.

This one comes out on September 15th from FSG.

And I leave you with a question: what are your favorite character driven novels?

WoW is hosted by Jill - head over there to see what other bloggers are looking forward to this week.

Book Review and Author Interview: Everything Beautiful in the World by Lisa Levchuk

Edna’s mother has cancer and the only good thing about that is people are willing to let her get away with pretty much anything. If she fails a test, is late, or misses tennis practice, everyone understands. What they wouldn’t understand is her illicit romance with her art teacher, the one thing that makes her feel happy lately. Not that she’s going to tell anyone – especially not her therapist who wants to convince her to visit her mother in the hospital. But she just can’t and no one is going to make her...

I was blown away by this book, pure and simple. Debut Author Lisa Levchuk manages to capture perfectly the feeling of being a teen that has a mother with cancer (and I should know). Edna’s voice is so raw and honest while still managing to be witty and endearing. You want to give her a hug at the same time you want to shake her and make her come to her senses.

The narrative tension is two-fold: Will she overcome her fear and visit her mother and will she and her teacher get caught? The novel is rich, deep, and ripe for discussion – from the characters relationships with one another (not just Edna’s relationship with her teacher but also with her distant father), to the pressures of small town life and the importance of music and art.

I found it absolutely beautiful. And I was lucky enough to get an interview with the author herself. So read on (no spoilers)...

This is your first book. Can you tell us a bit about the origin of the idea for the novel and your road to publication?
Everything Beautiful in the World began as a short story. I started writing it when I was in graduate school. At the time, my thesis advisor suggested that it might really be a novel. I had that idea in the back of my mind for quite some time before I sat down and wrote the book. It took many years and many false starts before I felt it was finished. The road to publication was quicker than the road to finishing the book.

Why did you set the novel in the early 1980’s instead of today?
Today’s world seems much more complicated to me, especially in terms of communication. I felt the story needed to take place in a time before cell phones and Facebook. I’m not sure I could see Edna using technology the way kids do today.

Music is discussed by the characters quite a bit in the novel. What was on your playlist while you wrote?
I have quite a bit of music on my playlist, but the albums that most inspired me to write were Cat Stevens’ Mona Bone Jackson , Outlandos D’Amour by The Police and Greetings from Asbury Park by Springsteen.

As a Young Adult novelist, do you read a lot of other YA novels? Which are your favorites?
I teach high school English and spend a great deal of time rereading classics. My favorite books about young adults are Jane Eyre and The Catcher in the Rye. I’m not sure if it’s a young adult book, but I recently read I book I liked very much by a writer named David Mitchell. It was about a teenage boy and it was titled Black Swan Green.

Ooh! I even reviewed that one on my blog. So tell us, do you have any other literary projects in the works?
Yes. I’m working on another book.

Great! Looking forward. Thanks for stopping by!

Everything Beautiful in the World is out in hardcover now. What are you waiting for? Go get it!