Book Review: World of Shell and Bone

Happy Friday! Today I'll be reviewing a book with a very pretty cover.

Title: World of Shell and Bone

Author: Adriana Ryan
Series: World of Shell and Bone #1

Publisher: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.

Original Publication Date: December 12, 2012

Format Read: kindle

Genre: YA Dystopia, YA Post-Apocalyptic 

Purchase: Amazon

Find on Goodreads

Description from Goodreads:
In a world ravaged by a nuclear holocaust, Vika Cannon knows there are no guarantees: no guarantees of safety, no guarantees that your neighbor is not actually a spy for the government, and no guarantees you'll be allowed to emigrate to a new life in China.

New Amana is dying. Food and water are scarce, and people suffering from radiation-caused mutations--the Nukeheads--are the new class of homeless.

Vika has just one purpose: to produce healthy progeny using a Husband assigned by the Match Clinic. Unhealthy children are carted away to Asylums to be experimented on, just as Vika's little sister Ceres was, eight years ago. Parents incapable of producing healthy progeny are put to death in gas chambers.

When she's assigned a Husband shortly after her twentieth birthday, Vika expects him to be complacent and obedient. But Shale Underwood has a secret. He is a member of the Radicals, the terrorist group intent on overthrowing the government. And Shale has information about Ceres.

As she learns more about the Rads's plan, Vika finds herself drawn to Shale in ways she'd never imagined. When freedom calls in the way of a healthy pregnancy, will she betray her government and risk death for Shale and Ceres?

The description sounds intriguing, doesn't it? That combined with that pretty cover enticed me to read this book (still not sure how the cover relates to the book). 

I really liked the first half of the book. I did find some parts a little far fetched. Basically there was a really big war, a nuclear war. Lots of men went off to fight and most of them died. New Amana is made by "feminist" women rising up to take the lead. I say feminist lightly because what is a feminist?

A feminist is an advocate for social, political, legal, and economic rights for women equal to those of men.

And that is clearly NOT what is happening in this book. In this book men are inferior to women, partially because it was men and testosterone ways that brought about the war. The women in this book are not any kinder though. 

Also in this book China has become the new super power. Clearly they somehow managed to stay out of the war and all of the nuclear pollution managed to stay away from the air over China. So, China has the cleanest air in the world. This is partially explained by saying they have new technology to help clean up the air and keep it clean.

This technology is suppose to be in use slowly cleaning up the air over New Amana which will take years. In the meantime, people are left to breathe horribly polluted air. And the population is dwindling. I should say healthy population. Because in this new world they institutionalize or murder (via gas chambers) anyone who is not genetically healthy or cannot produce a child within a given time frame. 

If you are a good little citizen and manage to produce children or meet specific fitness guidelines, you have a chance of getting a boat ticket to immigrate to China to live while New Amana is cleaned up. Those left behind will continue having dwindling safe food and water and will most likely die. Oh, and if you turn in fellow citizens that break the law, you get extra special brownie points with the government. These "law breakers" tend to be immediately sentenced to death with no chance to defend themselves.

Not necessarily all believable, but interesting nonetheless. We follow Vika, one of the sheep of New Amana who blindly follows what the government expects of her. As a character she starts out pretty flat but develops okay over the course of the story. She is given a Husband, who is suppose to keep house (think 1950's role reversal), help Vika conceive a child (via boring and clinical sex), and if Vika chooses, stay home and help raise the child. Vika is assigned Shale. Now Shale is an interesting character. I really liked him. Shale is really part of the rebel underground who was given the task (he volunteered) to be Vika's Husband and try to get information from Vika's work that will help the rebels. Vika works for a government agency who sorts coded data related to the movement of people to and from the asylums and gas chambers.

Vika slowly comes to realize that the government is bad and decides she wants to help the rebels free children from the asylums, including her little sister. All while this is happening her relationship with Shale develops. And they are off on their mission. So far so good.  I was really liking it at this point and was even discussing it with my family and friends. And then the story goes down hill (for me anyways).

SPOILER ALERT

Which also happens to be around the time that Shale disappears from the story. When you have such an interesting character, why oh why did the author feel the need to drop him from the story. I kept waiting for him to reappear, but he never does. I REALLY hope if the author gets around to writing the sequel that she puts SHALE back in. 

Anyways, at this point in the book, things just go down hill. Vika is treated horribly by a man that felt she was to blame for him being kicked out of the rebels. I didn't really feel what happened to her was necessary for the story. Then we have wandering and wandering and finally finding a camp of asylum refugees and her sister (SORRY). And then there is waiting, and waiting and more waiting for the sympathetic government officials to show up to transport the children via a special boat to China.

END SPOILER ALERT

Overall I feel the author started out with a 4-5 star book. Definitely would have been 5 if she had thrown in chapters from Shale's POV. I would LOVE to have his POV of the whole situation. Then about halfway through you drop the most interesting character from the book. The second half was a 1.5-2.5 star book. This leaves me with having to give this book a 3 star rating. It definitely has potential, but I think it needs to be reworked. Maybe pick up a professional editor or rework the story a little. 

My Rating: 

Book Review: Encalve

I've had this book on my to-read list for about a year now and have had a copy on my Kindle Fire since August 2012. The Clean Your Shelf Challenge finally encouraged me to read it.

Title: Enclave
Author: Ann Aguirre
Series: Razorland #1
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Original Publication Date: April 12, 2011
Format Read: kindle
Genre: YA Dystopia, YA Post-Apocalyptic, YA Zombies
Purchase: Amazon
Find on Goodreads

Description from the publisher:

New York City has been decimated by war and plague, and most of civilization has migrated to underground enclaves, where life expectancy is no more than the early 20's. When Deuce turns 15, she takes on her role as a Huntress, and is paired with Fade, a teenage Hunter who lived Topside as a young boy. When she and Fade discover that the neighboring enclave has been decimated by the tunnel monsters--or Freaks--who seem to be growing more organized, the elders refuse to listen to warnings. And when Deuce and Fade are exiled from the enclave, the girl born in darkness must survive in daylight--guided by Fade's long-ago memories--in the ruins of a city whose population has dwindled to a few dangerous gangs.

Ann Aguirre's thrilling young adult novel is the story of two young people in an apocalyptic world--facing dangers, and feelings, unlike any they've ever known.

Ann Aguirre has managed to put together an intriguing post-apocalyptic world. I like how she was inspired by the Mole People that lived in the underground tunnels of New York. In her world a great disaster has happened and everyone is evacuated from New York (or so the rest of the world thinks). Instead some of the poor have been left behind. Some of the poor retreated into the underground tunnels and formed the Enclave. The Enclave is just one of many "towns" in the underground tunnels. They have their own set of rules that create a "perfect" society. In this society brats are unnamed. If they survive until 15 they are given a naming ceremony where they bleed on a pile of scavenged objects. Where ever their blood first falls is what they are named.

Our heroine is named Deuce. She has chosen and was picked to be a Huntress. It is her responsibility along with other hunters to bring back food to the Enclave. Any, ANY infraction in the community will get you sent on the long walk. You are exiled and left for dead among the tunnels and "zombies."

As the book description leads you to believe Deuce and her hunting partner, Fade, are both exiled. They decide to leave the tunnels where Deuce sees that there still is a world living above ground. As they fight gangs and "zombies" while trying to head North hoping to find the people who original left the city, they learn more about themselves. 

Ann's version of "zombies" is an interesting one. They are like zombies as in they like to eat flesh, they swarm, etc...but they also have very sharp teeth and claws. They also bleed and can be killed just like you and me. I do not believe them to be true zombies, but they are a fun foe nonetheless. 

The story itself is a bit of a slow one, even though the reading is fast. Overall, I liked the book and plan on reading further into the series.

If you liked this book, it's possible you might like Born by Tara Brown (even though the writing could use a little polishing). Other possible books you might like are: 
Birthmarked by Caragh M. O'Brien
Blood Red Road by Moira Young
Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi

My Rating: 

Book Review: Born

Happy Birthday to ME! YAY! Anyways...today I'll be reviewing Born by Tara Brown. I read this book as part of the Clean Your Shelf Challenge. 

Title: Born
Author: Tara Brown
Series: Born #1
Publisher: Tara Brown Publishing
Original Publication Date: September 19, 2012
Format Read: kindle
Genre: YA Post-Apocalyptic, YA Zombies, New Adult
Purchase: Amazon
Find on Goodreads

Description from Goodreads:

"It's us and them, Em. There are no regular people anymore."

Ten years ago when the world ended she ran for her life.

Five weeks ago the world she'd hidden from came knocking on the door of her secluded cabin.

Ten days ago she found salvation hiding amongst the dead.

Yesterday she went back for the living.

Today she wonders if she will live to see tomorrow.

What do you do when the world you were born to is gone?

Where do you hide when even your own body isn't safe?

Emma ran when her daddy told her to. She hid like he said she should. He was the first person she turned her back on. The first one she let die. Ten years has gone by and she still lives by the simple rules he taught her when she was nine years old.

"Don't help anyone. Don't go where other people are unless you have to. Trust no one. Always pull the trigger."

Until one night she hears the worst sound in the world, a knock. A simple, timid knock, on the door to her cabin. Only the voice of the brave little girl, ready to die for her brother, persuades Emma to open the door. As her fingers turn the lock, she has a terrible feeling she will regret her decision. But even as regret fills her world, so do love and companionship. Things she never imagined she would ever have again.

Everything comes at a cost, you decide what you'll pay.

Well, this is clearly a self-published book. Nothing wrong with that, but it could do with some polishing up, more drafts, some editing, etc...

This book definitely felt a little rough to me, especially in the beginning on of the book. The first few paragraphs didn't suck me in right away and I was a little confused about what the story was about. I should have some inkling within the first chapter, not everything, but a pretty good idea at least. I actually had to stop and go back and read the very long description of the book provided by the author. She could use a little help in that department too.

Anyways, below all of the roughness, I definitely see a good story here with lots of potential. The further I got into the book, especially past the half-way mark, the easier it was for me to gloss over any weird writing and get into the story. Now what is the story about?

When Em was growing up she always thought her father was a little weird with all of the prepping he always did. He was worried about a world-wide disaster that would set the world back years. He made sure his daughter was prepare with survival training, they practiced running to make sure everyone was fit, etc...

When Em was nine her father's fears came to light when a bio-engineered virus was released on the world. Millions of people died everywhere or were infected with a zombie-like disease. While escaping from the city Em's father died. She has survived the past ten years by following her father's rules, and remembering what he said, "It's us and them, Em. There are no regular people anymore. Don't help anyone. Don't go where other people are unless you have to. Trust no one. Always pull the trigger."

That comes to an end ten years after the world ended when Em hears a timid knock on her cabin door and a girl a little younger than herself, pleading for her help her brother. Em reluctantly agrees and our adventure and breaking of her father's rules go from there. 

We have Em who is a survivalist bad-ass who is super good with a bow and arrow like some other big YA heroine we all know and love (ehem Katniss/Hunger Games). She also has a Timber Wolf companion, named Leo who helps her out (I liked Leo). And of course, two men who vie for her affections, two hottie brothers, no less. 

So in all post-apocalyptic worlds we know not everyone is nice. In this world you have people who do bad things to girls and/or try to round them up for the breeding camps or to work as slaves on farms. You see the bad people who released the virus on world managed to survive it's destruction and are working on rebuilding it to their desires. Think Hitler and whole Aryan race he tried to create. They are working on breeding healthy people to make a better world. 

Outside of the creepy people's place is everyone else trying to survive, whether you are a rebel, a loner, or someone trying to make it in a rundown crappy town. 

Through the brother, Jake, and sister, Anna, she ends up meeting with the rebels and deciding that she needs to take down the breeder camps, as they are not what they seem. 

A lot going on huh? The zombies seem to take more of backseat in this story. They are there, our characters come across them, but it's more about the rebels and a common man (or woman), against the big bad that ended the world. 

An interesting concept. I would really like to see this book polished up. I can't imagine how good it would be if a really good editor got her hands on it.

So, FOUR stars for the story idea plus TWO to TWO and HALF stars for the execution, gets us to....

My Rating: 

Book Review: Dust & Decay

This evening I'll be reviewing the second book of the Benny Imura (Rot & Ruin) series.

Title: Dust & Decay

Author: Jonathan Maberry

Series: Benny Imura #2

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

Publication Date: August 30, 2011

Format Read: paperback

Genre: YA Zombies, YA Post-Apocalyptic

Purchase: Amazon

Find on Goodreads

From the publisher: 
Six months have passed since the terrifying battle with Charlie Pink-eye and the Motor City Hammer in the zombie-infested mountains of the Rot & Ruin. It’s also been six months since Benny Imura and Nix Riley saw something in the air that changed their lives. Now, after months of rigorous training with Benny’s zombie-hunter brother Tom, Benny and Nix are ready to leave their home forever and search for a better future. Lilah the Lost Girl and Benny’s best friend Lou Chong are going with them.

But before they even leave there is a shocking zombie attack in town, and as soon as they step into the Rot & Ruin they are pursued by the living dead, wild animals, insane murderers, and the horrors of Gameland—where teenagers are forced to fight for their lives in the zombie pits. Worst of all…could the evil Charlie Pink-eye still be alive?

 In the great Rot & Ruin, everything wants to kill you. And not everyone in Benny’s small band of travelers will survive….

I liked the first book enough, so I decided to try out the second book in the series plus I already had it from the library, because my husband read it. 

I have to say I liked this book better than the first one. It might have been because we got all of the world building information and character setup information out of the way in the first book or not. It also probably had a little to do with the fact that Lilah the Lost Girl is a lot less annoying in the second book. The author finally has her speaking like a normal person. The character point of views are also changed up in the second book. I liked reading from the different characters point of views. I got to see what just about everyone was thinking at one point or another. 

Of course, some of the plot points do feel forced or very predictable, like the Chong and Lilah "romance" or Chong acting childish and running off or the very obvious death of the character that doesn't make it. 

I would recommend this book if you liked the first book. But as far as YA Zombie books go, I would recommend The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan and the rest of that series over this one any day.

My Rating: 

Book Review: Rot & Ruin

Afternoon everyone! Today we are going to enter the world of ZOMBIES!!!

Title: Rot & Ruin
Author: Jonathan Maberry 
Series: Benny Imura #1
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: September 14, 2010
Format Read: paperback
Genre: YA Zombies, YA Post-Apocalyptic
Purchase: Amazon
Find on Goodreads

Description from publisher:
In the zombie-infested, post-apocalyptic America where Benny Imura lives, every teenager must find a job by the time they turn fifteen or get their rations cut in half. Benny doesn't want to apprentice as a zombie hunter with his boring older brother Tom, but he has no choice. He expects a tedious job whacking zoms for cash, but what he gets is a vocation that will teach him what it means to be human.

I don't remember how this one ended up on my to-read list, but I'm guessing it has something to do with zombies. I do like a good book that includes zombies. This book wasn't on my pressing to-reads list, but my husband who loves zombie books wanted a new book to read, so I scoured my to-read list for something not to girly for him to read as well as something involving zombies. I found Rot & Ruin. My husband breezed through the book and asked me to pick up the next ones in the series for him from the library. I figured I would just go on ahead and read them too, since we had them from the library and I figured I could discuss them with my husband.

What I found was an okay zombie book, I've read better. The characters are okay and the plot line is okay. The book is a little big (the author probably could have edited it down a bit). 

Fifteen years ago, the dead woke and started wandering the earth. Within a few days, weeks, and months, the majority of the Earth's population had been wiped out. Most of the remaining people live in towns surrounded by fences. Many of the residents never leave the boundaries of the fences. Those that do are usually scavengers, traders or bounty hunters. In the society that remains everyone must find a job by the time they turn fifteen or their rations are cut in half. There are a wide variety of jobs to choose from. Some even allow you enough time to continue going to school for half days. 

We follow Benny as his fifteenth birthday approaches. He tries out a variety of jobs, all while many people ask why he doesn't just apprentice with his older brother Tom. Benny thinks his brother is bounty hunter who wacks zoms for cash. However, Tom is really a closure specialist who goes out on jobs to quiet family members who have been changed into zombies.

Benny reluctantly agrees when he decides he doesn't want any of the jobs he checked out. Benny ends up finding out there is a lot more to Tom's job and the way of the world than he ever thought (think coming of age story during a zombie apocalypse). There is a girl, not only the girl next door, but also a mysterious Lost Girl, who is a loner wandering around in the Rot & Ruin. 

Like I stated above, I found this book to just be okay. I liked it alright, but felt it could have been better. There was one thing that really bugged me while reading the story...SPOILER ALERT!

When they find the Lost Girl and she doesn't know how to talk or have conversations even though she very avidly read books all the time. Sure she was basically on her since she was eleven, but up until then she had people to regularly talk to. I found this part very annoying!

END SPOILER ALERT!

I would recommend this story, if you didn't have any better zombie books lying around or just to read until you get to the second book. I've already read that one and it does get better.

If you like this book (or want to read a better one with zombies in it), I'd recommend The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan. The whole series is pretty good. And of course the second book to this series, Dust & Decay.

My Rating: