Dystopian Giveaway Hop!

Dystopian Giveaway Hop

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What can you win this time around?

A copy of XVI by Julia Karr

(click here to read goodreads summary)

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Dystopian Giveaway Hop!

REVIEW: Insurgent by Veronica Roth

Title: Insurgent (Divergent #2)
Author: Veronica Roth
Genre: Dystopian
Pages: 525
Publisher: Harper Teen
Release Date: May 1st, 2012
ISBN: 0373210515
Buy Links: B&N | Amazon | The Book Depository

One choice can transform you--or it can destroy you. But every choice has consequences, and as unrest surges in the factions all around her, Tris Prior must continue trying to save those she loves--and herself--while grappling with haunting questions of grief and forgiveness, identity and loyalty, politics and love.

Why I loved Divergent...

I think it’s best to start off this review with some of my thoughts on Divergent. Refreshingly different. Downright exhilarating. It was the most memorable novel I read that year amongst the hundred or so books I was also reading at the time. Reading Insurgent brought back my ardent feelings for Divergent but left me feeling a somewhat…dry in the aftermath. I realize that this is a sophomore novel and that most of the time they end up becoming filler spaces for the third book, but I was not expecting it to happen with Divergent. I guess I was expecting a little bit more…? That lack of that extra “something” is my reason for this being a 4 star.

Girl power at it's finest = Trice

Trice is the same firecracker she was in the first book. An impulsive risk-taker with her adrenaline where her brain should be half of the time. I enjoyed every bit of her risk-taking moments even though they were discouraged in the book. I know Trice is not supposed to be too impulsive, but after awhile I got tired of seeing female protagonists in YA novels being left out of fights for their protection. It’s way too common and I’m sick of it. If there’s an important battle/fight going on Trice is in it. I’m glad I do not have to read through some angst-filled monologue of how the protagonist wishes she was strong enough to go. Good for you Trice!

REVIEW: Insurgent by Veronica Roth

Go Team Abnegation! – Insurgent ARC Giveaway!

I’ve volunteered to help lead the #TeamAbnegation faction to victory in the #DivergentNation Challenge!

If you wish to join TEAM ABGNEGATION it’s of the upmost importance that you click on the link below:

http://bit.ly/choose_abnegation

How can you win this beautiful ARC of INSURGENT by Veronica Roth?

 

Simply fill out the rafflecopter form below:

Go Team Abnegation! – Insurgent ARC Giveaway!

Excerpt of INSURGENT by Veronica Roth!

The first exclusive look into the anticipated sequel to Divergent was released today on EW’s shelf life. Click here to read it. Also, check out the pulse-racing quotes posted so far on goodreads. 

INSURGENT (Divergent, #2)

One choice can transform you—or it can destroy you. But every choice has consequences, and as unrest surges in the factions all around her, Tris Prior must continue trying to save those she loves—and herself—while grappling with haunting questions of grief and forgiveness, identity and loyalty, politics and love.
 Tris's initiation day should have been marked by celebration and victory with her chosen faction; instead, the day ended with unspeakable horrors. War now looms as conflict between the factions and their ideologies grows. And in times of war, sides must be chosen, secrets will emerge, and choices will become even more irrevocable—and even more powerful. Transformed by her own decisions but also by haunting grief and guilt, radical new discoveries, and shifting relationships, Tris must fully embrace her Divergence, even if she does not know what she may lose by doing so.
 New York Times bestselling author Veronica Roth's much-anticipated second book of the dystopian Divergent series is another intoxicating thrill ride of a story, rich with hallmark twists, heartbreaks, romance, and powerful insights about human nature.

What did you think of the excerpt? Are you looking forward to reading Insurgent this May? 

Excerpt of INSURGENT by Veronica Roth!

~ COVER REVEAL ~ Renegade by J. A. Souders





 

   RENEGADE
   By: Jessica Souders

   Publisher: Tor Teen

   Release: Fall 2012

  

 Since the age of three, sixteen-year-old Evelyn Winters has been trained to be Daughter of the People in the underwater utopia known as Elysium. Selected from hundreds of children for her ideal genes all her life she’s thought that everything was perfect; her world. Her people. The Law.

But when Gavin Hunter, a Surface Dweller, accidentally stumbles into their secluded little world, she’s forced to come to a startling realization: everything she knows is a lie. Her memories have been altered. Her mind and body aren’t under her own control. And the person she knows as Mother is a monster.

Together with Gavin she plans her escape, only to learn that her own mind is a ticking time bomb... and Mother has one last secret that will destroy them all.

~ COVER REVEAL ~ Renegade by J. A. Souders

♪ Romance Plots in Dystopian Novels ♫

I feel like Rihanna's song "We Found Love" sums up the romance plot of every dystopian novel I've ever read.

Here are some of the lyrics:

　

Yellow diamonds in the light

And we're standing side by side

As your shadow crosses mine

What it takes to come alive

It's the way I’m feeling I just can't deny

But I've gotta let it go

We found love in a hopeless place ( Repeats 5 times)

Love and life I will divide

Turn away cause I need you more

Feel the heartbeat in my mind

I was particularily thinking of Juliette and Adam from SHATTER ME sitting in that dark prison cell together. They found love in a "hopeless place" and they're sitting "side by side".

"Turn away cause I need you more" could mean that Juliette is afraid of touching Adam because she knows her touch is lethal and she doesn't want to kill him. She tells him to turn away because she might accidently slip and touch him--causing his death--which is a big no no. ;)
What dystopian novel do you think of when you hear this song?

♪ Romance Plots in Dystopian Novels ♫

SHATTER ME Book Trailer!

The trailer for SHATTER ME by Tahereh Mafi was revealed yesterday on MTV's Hollywood Crush. The trailer really heightened my excitement for the release of the book (November 15th). From the looks of this amazing trailer I have the feeling that the book is going to be an engaging read. I can't wait for the release day! :)

So without furthur ado, the TRAILER:

SHATTER ME Book Trailer!

COVER REAVEAL! Insurgent by Veronica Roth

Isn’t it beautiful? I really like the shades of green and blue and the tree. Oh! And there’s a train going past in the background. I applaud whoever designed this really beautiful cover!

Read Veronica’s thoughts on the cover here.

COVER REAVEAL! Insurgent by Veronica Roth

Waiting on Wednesday (2)

"Waiting On Wednesday" is a weekly event, hosted by Jill from Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

If you do this meme as well feel free to post a link to your Waiting on Wednesday post.

This week’s WoW is:

Under the Never Sky

By Veronica Rossi

Release date: February 7, 2012

Blurb from Goodreads:

EXILED from her home, the enclosed city of Reverie, Aria knows her chances of surviving in the outer wasteland—known as the Death Shop—are slim. If the cannibals don’t get her, the violent energy storms will. She’s been taught that the very air she breathes can kill her. Then Aria meets an outsider named Perry. He’s wild—a savage— and her only hope of staying alive.

Because they must, they will struggle together to survive.

Aria and Perry forge an unlikely alliance—one that will determine the fate of all who live under the never sky

So what do YOU think? I really can't wait to read this book. It reminds me a bit of Divergent by Veronica Roth. They’re both dystopian novels, and the authors have the same first name and partially the same last name, not to mention they have the same publisher.

Waiting on Wednesday (2)

On Writing: Is It Really a Dystopia?

Are you writing/reading a dystopian novel? Are you unsure whether it’s really a dystopian and not a post-apocalypse novel? I find that a lot of people are confused when it comes to the difference between dystopian and post-apocalypse. Sometimes I’ll even read a book (such as the Forest of Hands and Teeth) and be told that it’s a dystopian novel when it’s clearly a post-apocalypse. SO how do you tell the difference?

Let’s start by looking at what each one is:

A dystopia is the idea of a society in a repressive and controlled state, often under the guise of being utopian. Dystopian societies feature different kinds of repressive social control systems, various forms of active and passive coercion. Ideas and works about dystopian societies often explore the concept of humans abusing technology and humans individually and collectively coping, or not being able to properly cope with technology that has progressed far more rapidly than humanity's spiritual evolution.

Post-apocalyptic fiction is set in a world or civilization after such a disaster. The time frame may be immediately after the catastrophe, focusing on the travails or psychology of survivors, or considerably later, often including the theme that the existence of pre-catastrophe civilization has been forgotten (or mythologized). Post-apocalyptic stories often take place in an agrarian, non-technological future world, or a world where only scattered elements of technology remain. There is a considerable degree of blurring between this form of science fiction and that which deals with dystopias.

But see, here’s where things get tricky: yes, it’s possible for it to be both dystopian and post-apocalyptic at the same time. Take The Hunger Games for instance, it’s set in a future apocalyptic world and yet it has enough dystopian qualities for it to be considered part dystopian.

Use this flow-chart made by Erin Bowman to see if what you’re reading/writing is really a dystopian or a post-apocalypse. (Click to see larger)

Is it Dystopia? A flowchart for de-coding the genre by Erin Bowman is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License. Based on a work at www.embowman.com. Feel free to share it for non-commercial uses.

On Writing: Is It Really a Dystopia?

Cover Reveal: SHATTER ME by Tahereh Mafi

Today the stunning cover of Tahereh Mafi's dystopian novel SHATTER ME was revealed on MTV's Hollywood Crush. Isn't it beautiful? I've wanted to read SHATTER ME since I heard about it on Tahereh's blog, and now I can't wait to devour it.

Juliette hasn't touched anyone in exactly 264 days. The last time she did, it was an accident, but The Reestablishment locked her up for murder. No one knows why Juliette's touch is fatal. As long as she doesn't hurt anyone else, no one really cares. The world is too busy crumbling to pieces to pay attention to a 17-year-old-girl. Diseases are destroying the population, food is hard to find, birds don't fly anymore, and the clouds are the wrong color.

The Reestablishment said their way was the only way to fix things, so they threw Juliette in a cell. Now so many people are dead that the survivors are whispering war- and The Reestablishment has changed its mind. Maybe Juliette is more than a tortured soul stuffed into a poisonous body. Maybe she's exactly what they need right now.

Juliette has to make a choice: Be a weapon. Or be a warrior.

In this electrifying debut, Tahereh Mafi presents a world as riveting as The Hunger Games and a superhero story as thrilling as The X-Men. Full of pulse-pounding romance, intoxicating villainy, and high-stakes choices, Shatter Me is a fresh and original dystopian novel—with a paranormal twist—that will leave readers anxiously awaiting its sequel.

SHATTER ME will be released November 15, 2011 (HarperTeen).
 

What do YOU think of the cover?

Cover Reveal: SHATTER ME by Tahereh Mafi

What are YOU reading?

I just got my copy of Divergent yesterday. After reading the awesome reviews of it on goodreads I was very excited about starting it. I made a promise to myself not to read it until I was done with all my homework. I was very tempted, but somehow managed to control my urge to grab the book and devour it in one night. Now that it's Friday I'm going to read to my content. :3

So what are you reading this weekend? If you're not reading anything how's your WIP coming along?

What are YOU reading?

✩Teaser Tuesday✩ - Bumped

This week’s Teaser Tuesday is the dystopian novel, Bumped, by Megan McCafferty. It will be released on April 26^th. The premise for this looks very original. :) Here's a book-flap summary:

When a virus makes everyone over the age of eighteen infertile, would-be parents are forced to pay teen girls to conceive and give birth to their children, making teens the most prized members of society. Girls sport fake baby bumps and the school cafeteria stocks folic-acid infused food.

Sixteen-year-old identical twins Melody and Harmony were separated at birth and have never met until the day Harmony shows up on Melody’s doorstep. Until now, the twins have followed completely opposite paths. Melody has scored an enviable conception contract with a couple called the Jaydens. While they are searching for the perfect partner for Melody to bump with, she is fighting her attraction to her best friend Zen, who is way too short for the job.

Harmony has spent her whole life in Goodside, a religious community, preparing to be a wife and mother. She believes her calling is to bring Melody back to Goodside and convince her that pregging for profit is a sin. But Harmony has secrets of her own that she is running from.

When Melody is finally matched with the world-famous, genetically flawless Jondoe, both girls’ lives are changed forever. A case of mistaken identity takes them on a journey neither could have ever imagined, one that makes Melody and Harmony realize they have so much more than just DNA in common.

From New York Times bestselling author Megan McCafferty comes a strikingly original look at friendship, love, and sisterhood—in a future that is eerily believable.

Teaser:

“I cringe from the inside out whenever she says that word. I can’t change the fact that Harmony is my identical twin, but I don’t know if I’ll ever call this stranger my sister.”

✩Teaser Tuesday✩ - Bumped