Quickie Book Review: Arclight by Josin L. McQuein {Arclight # 1}

Title: Arclight
Series: {Arclight # 1}
Author: Josin L. McQuein
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Date of Publication: April 23, 2013
Source: bought



Goodreads Synopsis:

No one crosses the wall of light . . . except for one girl who doesn’t remember who she is, where she came from, or how she survived. A harrowing, powerful debut thriller about finding yourself and protecting your future—no matter how short and uncertain it may be.
The Arclight is the last defense. The Fade can’t get in. Outside the Arclight’s border of high-powered beams is the Dark. And between the Light and the Dark is the Grey, a narrow, barren no-man’s-land. That’s where the rescue team finds Marina, a lone teenage girl with no memory of the horrors she faced or the family she lost. Marina is the only person who has ever survived an encounter with the Fade. She’s the first hope humanity has had in generations, but she could also be the catalyst for their final destruction. Because the Fade will stop at nothing to get her back. Marina knows it. Tobin, who’s determined to take his revenge on the Fade, knows it. Anne-Marie, who just wishes it were all over, knows it.
When one of the Fade infiltrates the Arclight and Marina recognizes it, she will begin to unlock secrets she didn’t even know she had. Who will Marina become? Who can she never be again?

My Thoughts:

This is definitely one of those books that I wasn't sure I would love because of the assumption  I placed upon it before I even started reading it.  "This is a science fiction type story so obviously that's not my thing..."  was exactly what I was saying to myself before I even gave Arclight like my full attention.  
Yes, I bought it for the pretty cover.    I know, I know.  That is pretty vain.  But I just loved how the rays of light sparkled upon the paper and how it was gently raised as well.  
And I guess I was slightly intrigued by something called the Fade.  It just sounded ominous.  
But I was definitely not giving Arclight enough credit.  Just because it had the word "nanite" in it, I assumed it was going to be like the old Star Trek shows (my mom was a huge fan and I had to suffer through many a marathon of them) and I think that is where my brain wanted to shut it down before I even really gave it a chance to play. 

But you know what?  I strapped my big girl panties on and decided to get out of my comfort zone and jumped headfirst into Arclight.... and I am so happy I did!
Arclight jumps right into the action.  There is no lull in the story at all; you are just thrust from mind reeling scenes to intense scenes and back again.  I loved how the author gave us just enough of the world building to keep us from sitting there in the light scratching our heads, but not so much that it seemed like a system overload.  She also used the characters as our storytellers instead of just a bunch of rote information that took forever to read through.  
I hit it off very nicely with the main character, Marina, as we see how she suffers being the "one they saved" from the dark.  I instantly connected with Marina and it was hard not to root for her after the way her classmates treat her so harshly.  I liked that she wasn't the popular girl.  This book is a dark science fiction/YA story with some heavy consequences in it and I loved the fact that it wasn't so much about the social ladder in a school.  It was more comparable to just surviving among those who blame you for just about everything.  Many of us have been the outsider but never secluded as much as Marina is in Arclight.  It was a great way to show us that it can always get worse.  
Of course besides Marina, there is other great characters that play a major part in the story.  I am sure most everyone adored Tobin and I did really like him but I much preferred Rue.  Oh Rue!  He stole my heart the minute he materialized in the story.  
And I guess that clues you in that there may be a love triangle in it.  But this triangle is slightly off as you will discover as you read through the book.  
The antagonistic characters were downright frightening.  The levels this character was willing to go through just to protect themselves and hurt others was plain scary.  I really didn't see any remorse in their behavior after their terrible deeds and yet it was the strong belief they had that pushed them right over the edge into insanity disguised by power.  

The story lines were very intense, and like I said there was some very dark ideas throughout the book.  I really felt like this was a "good vs. evil" and "light vs. dark" situation right from the start.  How symbolic that the geographic area has the light, the grey, and then the dark when there are many characters in the story that can't be grouped in just the evil side but are no where to being labeled as the good guys either.  
I am a huge fan of the grey area in society and I love that it is immersed in the Arlight as well in many different ways.  
I did, however, pretty much clue in to the outcome of the book by the middle of the story but I was still hooked on the story till the very end.  It didn't get boring for me but I wished a tad bit that the twist had been hidden a little bit deeper.  I would have liked to stay in the dark (no pun intended) a little longer in the story.  
But overall Arclight was a great read!  It really taught me to that it is okay to step out of our comfort zone, or in this case, comfort genre, to find a new genre to fall in love with.  Especially if it is one that we wasn't really into to begin with.  
I gave Arclight four hearts!

Connect with the Author:
Website | Twitter | Goodreads |

Get your own copy at:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | 

Quick Book Review: Through the Ever Night by Veronica Rossi {Book 2}

Title: Through the Ever Night
Series: Under the Never Sky book 2
Author: Veronica Rossi
Publisher: HarperCollins
Date of Publication: Jan. 8, 2013
Source: gift for Valentine's Day, hardcover, 341 pages
Get Yours at: Amazon | Barnes & Noble |

Goodreads Summary:

It's been months since Aria last saw Perry. Months since Perry was named Blood Lord of the Tides, and Aria was charged with an impossible mission. Now, finally, they are about to be reunited. But their reunion is far from perfect. The Tides don't take kindly to Aria, a former Dweller. And with the worsening Aether storms threatening the tribe's precarious existence, Aria begins to fear that leaving Perry behind might be the only way to save them both.
Threatened by false friends, hidden enemies, and powerful temptations, Aria and Perry wonder, Can their love survive through the ever night?
In this second book in her spellbinding Under the Never Sky trilogy, Veronica Rossi combines fantasy and dystopian elements to create a captivating love story as perilous as it is unforgettable.

My Thoughts:
I love when a series keeps getting better and better, holding you in with the emotion, angst, and adventure that first one had, but gives you even more this time around.
Through the Ever Night has did just that!   I love that you can truly see the change the characters have went through; they refuse to become static and still same as always.  Aria has changed the most and most definitely in a good way.  She has become stronger, more intelligent, and even more in love with Perry.  She seems more sure of herself and Perry, although, she knows she will never be accepted in his clan.
Perry has become stronger as well; learning to become a leader the people need but may not want.  We meet new characters in this story that cause me many headaches because I dislike them so much and we meet other characters that I have smiled at the likability of their personalities.
The plot just keeps getting trickier and trickier but trust me this is a good thing!  We see what the leader of the Dwellers is truly capable of and yet it still surprises me at the evilness he contains in himself.  His son is another matter.  I don't particularly like him but I understand him a little more.
Many alliances will be questioned in this book but many will come shining through.  There is a huge twist that shocked the you know what out of me but didn't take away from the story at all.
I still love the relationship that grows between Aria and Perry.  In the beginning they hated each other and now they are in complete understanding of each other.  The love they share is mutual and strong, though they do seem to question it for the wrong reasons. Everyone else seems to be pulling them apart when I just want to scream at them to trust each other instead.
Ms. Rossi definitely did not disappoint us with all the action filled scenes she created in Through the Ever Night.  I love how she took a Young Adult romance story and made it into so much more.  It isn't just romance, it is action, fantasy, and dystopian.  It even has tidbits of comedy in it which makes it even more great for me.
This is a exciting adventure that you go on through the eyes of Aria and Perry, trying to save the people they love from the the ever crumbling world they are trying to escape from, all the while trying to find a way to be with the one person that fullfills their love and longing.
Each other.

I give this wonderful book five hearts!

Book Review: Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi

Title:  Under the Never Sky
Author: Veronica Rossi
Series: Under the Never Sky Book 1
Publisher: HarperCollins
Date of Publication: January 3, 2012
Source: bought on Kindle, 389 pages
Want to fall in love with your own:  Amazon | Barnes & Noble |

Goodreads Description:

Aria is a teenager in the enclosed city of Reverie. Like all Dwellers, she spends her time with friends in virtual environments, called Realms, accessed through an eyepiece called a Smarteye. Aria enjoys the Realms and the easy life in Reverie. When she is forced out of the pod for a crime she did not commit, she believes her death is imminent. The outside world is known as The Death Shop, with danger in every direction.
As an Outsider, Perry has always known hunger, vicious predators, and violent energy storms from the swirling electrified atmosphere called the Aether. A bit of an outcast even among his hunting tribe, Perry withstands these daily tests with his exceptional abilities, as he is gifted with powerful senses that enable him to scent danger, food and even human emotions.
They come together reluctantly, for Aria must depend on Perry, whom she considers abarbarian, to help her get back to Reverie, while Perry needs Aria to help unravel the mystery of his beloved nephew’s abduction by the Dwellers. Together they embark on a journey challenged as much by their prejudices as by encounters with cannibals and wolves. But to their surprise, Aria and Perry forge an unlikely love - one that will forever change the fate of all who live UNDER THE NEVER SKY
The first book in a captivating trilogy, Veronica Rossi’s enthralling debut sweeps you into an unforgettable adventure

My Thoughts:
I was curious, very curious about this book but never seemed to be able to pick it up.  Then I seen it was on sale for the Kindle for 2.99 and I just couldn't pass it up.  Then once I started it, I literally had a very hard time putting it down.  It was so easy to get lost in this very different world where the sky has these fire storms almost everyday, as well as these different people who are blessed with these amazing gifts based upon their dominant sense.

When I first got started with Under the Never Sky, my mind kept drifting back to Greek gods and goddesses; but I am not sure why.  There are a few things that would point it that way, for example, there is a place called The Delphi, that seems like a shrine in its sense too.
But I am still not sure if it is based loosely on mythos or not.  Maybe you can figure it out and let me know.

The action is pretty non stop.  It begins with action and is pretty much going throughout the book.  I really loved the plot of this book.  Yes, it is a love story; but it so much more than that too.   It is about loving your family, your neighbors, and your land enough to want something better for yourself.  To believe in yourself.  Even when no one else does.

Now, let's talk about the characters.  It was impossible not to fall in love with these guys.  They are funny, harsh, romantic, blunt, and most importantly, interestingly real.  Besides the different powers some of them had, I could actually see some of these people out about in society now.  Well at least I wish I could call some of them my friends.
Like Roar.  Okay so I usually talk about the main HEA first, but nope not this time.  I just had to talk about Roar first.  He is what you would call a supporting character.  But he is much more too.  Roar is the one guy every girl wishes were their big brother (I know I do).  No matter what,  Roar is the one guy that will do everything in his power to take care of you, whether you are girlfriend, sister, mom, or hot Dweller chick.

Okay now I can talk about the protagonists now.

Aria, is a Dweller who basically lives in these pod like structures that have all kinds of cool (and scary) technology that allows them to do a lot of imaginary things.  For example, they have this SmartEye device that goes over one of their eyes, almost like contact lenses, and it allows them to communicate, visit all these different places; basically be the Internet.  We see through Aria's eyes that they are so dependent upon this technology that when they lose it for a little while everything goes completely nuts.
I like Aria.  She doesn't complain too much; isn't a whiny character like I have read with a lot of in other books.  Aria is smart, beautiful, and willing to survive, even if she doesn't know how.

Then there is Perry.  He actually has this really cool, beautiful name but I will save that one for you to read.
Perry is tough but fragile as well.  And trust me, we all like a guy that can kick ass but also understands the beauty and love in things.  I think what drew me to Perry at first, was the kindness and love he has for his nephew, Talon.  Perry loves him like a father, and would risk his very existence on him.  Perry is a great friend, a handsome man, and someone that loves his people very much.  Actually, I think he cares for all people, as long as they are a decent and fair kind of folk.

These two, Aria & Perry, together are very interesting and very funny to read as they get to know each other through the good and the bad.  Probably one of my favorite things about this novel is how these two protagonists got to know each other, instead of instantly being in love.  In fact, I liked the idea that they couldn't stand each other, but through closeness they learned to be friends.  That one aspect made their relationship even more realistic, even in a fantasy type world.

The plot lines flow so fluidly through this story that is so easy to get caught up in the beauty of the writing, the beauty of the world as well as the frightening power behind it, and the awesome fighters that Aria and Perry become to save each other.
There is a lot of plot twists that I didn't see coming but totally hooked me in right away.  Not to mention the upstanding job the author did of the world building and the explanations of the different sense based powers.  Very, very well!
It was refreshing to find these characters that are up against so much: a terrible antagonist who is heartless, a sky that can kill from its storms, and clans that are demented; and yet our protagonists can still find the beauty in the killer sky, the calmness in the smells and sounds surrounding them, and the love in the smallest gestures too.  The people in Under the Never Sky are resilient which gives us all hope for the future.
This is five hearts all the way!

~~~~~~~~~~~Favorite Quotes~~~~~~~~~

"Do the clouds ever clear?" she asked.

"Completely? No. Never."

"What about the Aether? Does that ever go away?""Never, Mole.  The Aether never leaves."She looked up. " A world of nevers under a never sky."She fit in well then, he thought. A girl who never shut up.

Another reason to call it the never sky, she thought.  It never did what you wanted. 

If there was no fear, how could there be comfort? Or courage? 

Connect with Veronica Rossi:

Goodreads | Twitter | Website |  

ARC Review: Dearly, Beloved by Lia Habel

Title: Dearly, Beloved
Series: Gone With the Respiration Book 2
Author: Lia Habel
Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
Date of Publication: Sept. 25, 2012
Source: digital galley from NetGalley, 496 pages
Order your copy: Amazon / Barnes and Noble

Can the living coexist with the living dead? 

That's the question that has New Victorian society fiercely divided ever since the mysterious plague known as "The Laz" hit the city of New London and turned thousands into walking corpses. But while some of these zombies are mindless monsters, hungry for human flesh, others can still think, speak, reason, and control their ravenous new appetites.

Just ask Nora Dearly, the young lady of means who was nearly kidnapped by a band of sinister zombies but valiantly rescued by a dashing young man . . . of the dead variety.

Nora and her savior, the young zombie soldier Bram Griswold, fell hopelessly in love. But others feel only fear and loathing for the reanimated dead. Now, as tensions grow between pro- and anti-zombie factions, battle lines are being drawn in the streets. And though Bram is no longer in the New Victorian army, he and his ex-commando zombie comrades are determined to help keep the peace. That means taking a dangerous stand between The Changed, a radical group of sentient zombies fighting for survival, and The Murder, a masked squad of urban guerrillas hellbent on destroying the living dead. But zombies aren't the only ones in danger: Their living allies are also in The Murder's crosshairs, and for one vengeful zealot, Nora Dearly is the number one target.

As paranoia, prejudice, and terrorist attacks threaten to plunge the city into full-scale war, Nora's scientist father and his team continue their desperate race to unlock the secrets of "The Laz" and find a cure. But their efforts may be doomed when a mysterious zombie appears bearing an entirely new strain of the virus-and the nation of New Victoria braces for a new wave of the apocalypse.   -book blurb


My Feelings:
Habel takes the creepy appeal of zombies, the futuristic machinery that enthralls us now, and the societal demands of the Victorian Era; combines them all to create a novel that made me smile, cringe, and laugh out loud at times.  But it definitely made me think, long after I had finished the story.  

The setting was confusing at times just because of the way society acted, yet all of the technological equipment kept me grounded in the future.  There were times I wanted to scream at these folks, " there are zombies everywhere, some good, some bad, and you are more worried about how society views whether you are chaperoned properly." It was downright comical at times, but I think it also made us see that there are those people who will still care about what other people think with the world falling down all around them.  Good lesson for us all, huh?

The characters were to die for, no pun intended.  (Okay I know it was cheesy but I just couldn't help it.)  If I had to pick one favorite this story it was the characters.  
Bram was handsome in nature and caring.  I can see why Nora feels so much for him.  Yeah he is a zombie but remember the old adage, "beauty comes from the inside first"?  Bram truly has beauty on the inside.  He genuinely cares for the living and the dead.  He is a true leader and his snarky comments always made me smile.  
 Nora is rash, passionate, foolish and very determined, almost to the point of stubborn.  In truth, she got on my nerves at times, and other moments I couldn't help but smile and just beg to give her a hug.  She is so loyal to those people she cares about that hell hath no fury for those that tries to harm them.  She is one tough kick ass heroine. I don't want to give too much away but she is very special and may be what this zombie filled world needs to carry on in peace.  
Pamela reminded me of myself the most.  I know most people always associate with the main character, and Pamela isn't just passing in the wind, but she is more like a supporting character in my opinion.  
She discovered that she was willing to do just about anything to save her brother, her family, and her close friends.  (In an  apocalypse I would bet I would get over my fear of blood and heights to do the right thing.) Of course after everything has settled down for the most part, the panic starts to set in.  She suffers from anxiety attacks with the added stress of being responsible for her family.  
This is me!!!  Except I am not living with zombies or in the apocalypse...I think.  
When she finally reaches her limit and just doesn't give a **** (you know) I actually said out loud, "YOU GO GIRL!!!!"

Most stories cannot pull off the multiple POVs but Dearly, Beloved wouldn't be able to exist without them.  There are so many people that make a difference in this novel, it was only right to get their thoughts and emotions fed to us through their own eyes.  Even the antagonist had his own chapters and we were able to see the whys of what he did.  It didn't mean I agreed with him but Michael truly believed what he did was the right thing.  Let's just say I think Michael went off his rocker a little bit there.  

Through the many POVS we were able to glimpse who the real monsters were and who the perceived evil creatures were.  I loved the fact that our author showed us that the actions of the living and the dead caused the evil in the world.  It was also important to show how such good intentions could be the death of us all.  

I felt like Bram and Nora were meant for each other.  I haven't read book 1, Dearly, Departed, but I felt like Habel gave us enough background information to keep everything exciting but still easy to understand.  I do look forward to reading the first book so I can see how Nora and Bram really fell in love. 
  Their love is scandalous among the rich families, which both care nothing for.  The social graces Nora keeps is in most for her father's sake, but doesn't care for the fake and phony families of high society.  I think this truly bothers her when she finds out that someone helps her that could be her mortal enemy.  The plot thickens! :)

The plot has so much going on you cannot possibly get bored with it.  I love how Habel took issues that we are dealing with today: racism, fear of the unknown, peer pressure, etc.  and crafted it into a story of the future with zombies.  
These zombies have a lot of heart that will truly change the way you look at the reanimated dead ever again!  The ending was spectacular in every sense of the word and I can't wait to delve into more of the Dearly world! 

Favorite Quote:

"I love you Nora. I will think you beautiful when I have no eyes left to see.  I will remember your voice when my ears go.  You can't hold on to me forever, but I will hold onto you until I am nothing but dirt."

-Bram, Dearly, Beloved

I gave it five hearts!