The Alienation of Courtney Hoffman by Brady G. Stefani

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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Thanks to Brady G. Stefani for the audiobook version of The Alienation of Courtney Hoffman! The narrator makes Courtney come alive and lovable and her voice begs compassion. Eventually, it became too whiny for me and I finished the book by reading the paperback version to compare how I felt about the character by listening to a narrator versus reading on my own. Reading the book on my own helped me care for the characters and I was able to become more involved with the plot. The alien theme, the uncertainty and the mystery kept me reading to the end. 3.5 stars for originality.

Remake by Ilima Todd

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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Remake by Ilima Todd is told in parts. Part one describes the lifestyles of batchers and the decisions they get to make when they turn seventeen- gender choice, occupation choice and physical appearance choices. Nine finds out that she is an experiment and that’s why she looks different from the other batchers with her red hair and freckles. On the trip to have their choices come to fruition, the shuttle crashes in the ocean and Nine is the only surviving batcher of her group. Part two begins when Nine washes onto a beach and is rescued and taken care of by a loving family that grows to love Nine as she grows to love them. Feeling safe, Nine decides she wants to remain with Kai and his family, but then her tracker goes off and the family knows it needs to be removed for everyone’s safety.  Part three tells of Kai and Nine taking the canoe to The Rise, freedom rebels who will remove the tracker.  Throughout this story many things come full circle for Nine and her eyes, heart and mind are opened.  Remake is a touching story set in a sci-fi dystopian world – 4.5 stars!

The Hunt by Megan Shepherd

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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The Hunt by Megan Shepherd is the sequel to The Cage where humans are treated like displays for the entertainment of an otherworldly race. The characters become more dynamic and, after their escape attempt, have been placed in different settings. Cora is now a singer, others are dancers, a dollhouse family and some are placed as prey in a hunt. All of the captured are trying to work together to escape the planet and get to Earth. Cora has developed telekinesis and Cassian believes that Cora can beat the Gauntlet and prove that humans are intelligent. Cora is thrown into the hunt and she discovers a surprise about her predator. Using her telekinetic abilities, she kills him and Cassian takes the blame. The group escapes for Earth only to decide they need to save Cassian because he’s the only one who has a strong hope for humanity. The loyalty and action kept me reading this sci-fi dystopian and I am looking forward to The Gauntlet, the third book of the series, because of the four sets of puzzles that will be presented to the captured to prove that humans are sentient beings worthy of freedom; 4 stars!

Configured by Jenetta Penner

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.
Configured by Jenetta Penner is about Avlyn who lives in an all out dystopian society that does not allow anyone to choose their careers or future spouses, stilts all emotions and will not allow relationships with anyone that you cared about or knew before you became an adult. Avlyn’s twin brother, Ben, died when he was four years old and she doesn’t understand why. She misses him daily and wants to know what happened to cause his death. Anytime she asks questions about Ben, her foster parents become angry and tell her to not cause problems for the two of them. They do not seem to care about Avlyn at all, once they have completed their duty of raising her. Avlyn is asked to join a rebellion and actually feels like she has been pushed into it at the beginning. She eventually sees more of what is happening in her society and begins to understand that a rebellion is necessary. Configured is a science fiction, action-adventure in a dystopian society with an intense rebellion in the making – 4 stars for originality!

Sapphire Blue by Kerstin Gier

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The second book in the Ruby Red trilogy by Kerstin Gier, Sapphire Blue, begins where Ruby Red left off. Gwyneth is forced to learn eighteenth century history, politics, behavior and culture for time travel. She’s also unsure of who to trust, Gideon or any other time travelers or guardians. She meets her grandfather when he’s a young man and before he was married. The intrigue, mystery and espionage increase in this installment of the trilogy. Gwyneth is a lovable teenager who has been thrown into a world that she never wanted to belong to. Romantic gestures from Gideon and trying to figure out who is trustworthy keeps Gwyneth on her toes. More twists and turns happen at the end of the book making me anxious to read Emerald Green, the next and last book in the Ruby Red trilogy. 4 stars for suspenseful intrigue!

The Alchemists of Loom by Elise Kova

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.
Thanks to NetGalley and Keymaster Press for the opportunity to read and review The Alchemists of Loom by Elise Kova! This steampunk science fiction story begins in the middle of a mission. The mysterious White Wraith, Arianna, is a renowned thief and organ trader. She becomes drawn into helping a dragon, Cvareh, reach the Alchemists of Loom and the rebellion against the king that resides there. Along their way, they meet with old acquaintances, family members, help prisoner allies escape and surprise each other with the friendship and trust that grows between the two of them. Once they reach Loom, their eyes are opened to secrets and the resistance to the king that is actually occurring. The story ends on an intriguing cliff hanger. I rate this book 4 stars for the beautiful prose and intelligent and concise world building!

Distant Horizon by Stephanie and Isaac Flint

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Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.
Thanks to YA Bound Book Tours for the opportunity to read and review Distant Horizon by Stephanie and Isaac Flint. Distant Horizon is a science fiction dystopian story with the twist of elemental powers, such as speed, electricity, persuasion and plant manipulation. The community has been told that they need to take a pill daily to prevent a plague that causes delusions of grandeur and volatile tendencies. If you are found to not be taking your daily dose, you will be sent away to reform. The community is hiding a horrific secret and Jenna and her friends get neck deep into the danger. Interesting characters that you can’t be sure are trustworthy or not and the clever problematic society and conspiracy theory angle bring intrigue and suspense to the story – 4 stars!

Ruby Red by Kerstin Gier

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Ruby Red by Kerstin Gier opens as Gwyneth helps her cousin Charlotte get home after her first dizzy spell. The first sign of reaching the age and ability to time travel is feeling dizzy. The time travel ability runs in the family and begins around the age of sixteen. Gwyneth ends up traveling through time first, but soon after she lands back in time, she returns to the present. Gwyneth’s friend, Lesley, helps her with research and keeping her confidences. Before she gets the chance to tell her mother that she traveled back in time, Gwyneth takes another journey during the night. She time travels three times before she confides in her mother and her mother stresses and immediately takes Gwyneth to the time travel authorities. The chronograph controls time traveling if it has a record or sample of your blood. Otherwise, time traveling comes at random times and in spurts. Gwyneth learns of the history, chronology and ancestry of time travel and the prophecy/philosophy of the twelve. The Guardians take care of the chronograph and the time travelers. I give this book 4 stars because of the adventure and fun character dynamics!

Fate of Flames by Sarah Raughley

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Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.
Thanks to NetGalley and Simon Pulse for the opportunity to read and review Fate of Flames by Sarah Raughley! The book opens with an excerpt from “The Fight with the Dragon” by Friedrich von Schiller, translated by Sir Edward Bulwer Lytton 1852. I found the excerpt and its implications to the story interesting. The area has been attacked by hostiles, as the warning siren is telling the city. The students and teachers at the school are heading to the shelter. Maia sees a terrified young girl under a jeep. Maia feels the need to save her, since she is now an effigy and has been for forty-eight hours. That’s when an Effigy mentor died and Maia took her place. There can only be four effigies at a time. Earth, fire, ice and wind are the four effigies at a time. When Maia meets Saul, I was instantly intrigued by his silver hair and mysterious ring. There’s more to Saul and his ring than Maia realizes. The Effigies are a type of super hero with flaws and attributes just like regular people. The mystery goes beyond someone just being a villain. The plot is intense, interesting and full of twists. I give 4 stars for this science fiction adventure!

Eternal Darkness by J. F. Johns

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Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.
Thanks to YA Bound Book Tours for the opportunity to read and review Eternal Darkness by J.F. Johns! In a world of humans, cyborgs and human-cyborg combinations, Scarlet finds herself in the Year 2060 with no memory of the past twenty years. Sam and Curtis find Scarlet while driving. Scarlet appears on the road in front of them; they don’t stop in time and they hit her. Scarlet is dead, but little by little she heals herself. They discover that she’s a weapon that can be activated at any time. I enjoyed the diverse characters: Sam is selfless, Perisia seems a bit loony and Eric is comical. The characters are complex and dynamic and each of them has a story of their own. Scarlet is in the middle of a brewing prejudicial war and she has no idea why. Her newfound friends protect and care for her as well as help her recover her memories. The sides confront each other and Scarlet protects who she cares about. This is only the beginning of the war! I rate Eternal Darkness 4 stars for an interesting science fiction plot and the great character pool!