Prodigy

by Marie Lu
published: Putnam Juvenile, 2013
pages: 371

June joins Day on the most wanted list in the Republic.  They are on the run and desperately looking for help.  When the Patriots - a vigilante group - come to their aid, they agree to help with some revolutionary plans.  But can Day and June trust the Patriots or have they become just another part of the Republic's plan.

After finishing Legend, I was looking forward to finding out what happened next to June and Day.  I found myself incredibly annoyed with everyone in this book at different times, because there seemed to be no trust.  There was too much time spent trying to keep Day and June a part.  I know this added much needed tension to their relationship, but at times I just wanted to yell at everyone.  Let them be a couple.  Day and June were often their own worst enemies, so I can't blame it on other people really, just their own stupidity.

There was a little bit of a lull in the middle of the book where the pacing was not up to par with the rest of the story.  I felt like there was a lot of time spent preparing, which is sometimes necessary, but maybe not as much of it.  Now, it could be that because I was reading it is small chunks it felt slow.  It doesn't matter, really.

What it lacked in pace, it made up for in character development and action.  There was plenty of action in this story, but along with that we got to see much more of Day, June and even Tess, as well as some of the other characters we met in Legend.  We learn more about the Patriots and what they are really after.

I cannot wait for the final book in this trilogy, it's time to find out how this all ends.

Stars: 4/5 

Praise:

"Marie Lu has beaten the curse with Prodigy...it has all the chivalry of Robin Hood and all the shine and grime of Blade Runner.. The well-drawn world, political undercurrents and the believability of the characters make it all feel fresh... Lu proves that a Book 2 needn't play second fiddle, providing intrigue and deep pleasure all its own."
     --The Los Angeles Times

"Lu opts for a high simmer of intrigue in her sequel to Legend... taut and insightful."
     --Publishers Weekly

"Stunning follow-up to Legend... The thrilling action and futuristic settings are sure to please fans of Divergent."
     --Self Awareness, Starred Review

Legend

by Marie Lu
Published: G.P. Putnam Juvenile
Pages: 305

In what used to be known as the United States, the Republic has taken root and become perpetually at war with it's enemy, the Colonies.  Within the walls of this hierarchy,  two 15-year-olds become very important to the nation.  June is a perfect score government prodigy and Day is the country's most wanted criminal. When their paths cross unexpectedly, it becomes a battle of strength, will, and truth.  It's up to them to decipher what is real and what is a lie; who they trust and who will be right: June or Day.

The thing I found most unique and engaging about this story is the two different perspectives: Day and June.  We see the challenges from these two very different places in this society and gather different sets of information from both characters.  We also get to see each character develop together throughout the story, we see the weight of their own struggles.

I especially enjoy the character development of June and the degree to which she slowly changes, grows into her own.  Even though she's a prodigy, she is imperfect in other ways.  She learns this about herself in startling circumstances.  The further she digs into the mysteries of the Republic, the more she finds out about herself as a person.  

Marie Lu is great at world building.  Even though the book is set in a futuristic LA, the visual of the outer-bank slum areas with flooded buildings and ruined high rises are vivid, especially in contrast with the electric, modern strongholds of the rich government areas.  The obvious differences add to the characters' differences but also provides more impact when they begin to interact.

I was so captivated by this book, I cannot wait to read the sequel!

Stars: 5/5

Praise:

"A romantic thriller set in a post-apocalyptic world where nothing is what it seems - Legend is impossible to put down and even harder to forget."
      --Kami Garci, New York Times Bestselling Co-Author of Beautiful Creatures

"A dripping thriller in dystopic future Los Angeles...this is no didactic near-future warning of present evils, but a cinematic adventure featuring endearing, compelling heroes."
     --Kirkus Reviews, starred review

This is an Eclectic Reader 2013 Challenge book!

Warm Bodies

by Isaac Marion
Published: Atria, 2011
Pages: 239

R is a zombie with a problem.  He shuffles around a war ridden America, eating brains and wishing there was more to his life, memories even. On one of his many hunting trips, he encounters the memories of one of his victims.  When he makes the decision to protect his victim's girlfriend, Julie, it sparks a change in him, one that could lead him to humanity once more, that is if he can stay 'alive'.

I saw a trailer for the movie based on this book before I'd even heard of this book.  I was strangely mesmerized by it, so of course I knew that I had to read the book.  This is also my introduction into the Zombie genre, so there was a lot riding on this book.  I can firmly say now, that I will be reading many more zombie books.

The unconventional love story between a human and a zombie is enchanting and completely unpredictable.  R's inner dialogue is witty and engaging; I really enjoyed hearing the inner thoughts of a zombie.  His desire to be more human, or rather to have love, provides the catalyst for the story.  R searches for it even before he meets Julie.  It is unique and entertaining.

There are so many aspects of this book that are worth mentioning, the memories and the characters specifically.  Julie seems like any other zombie-apocalypse survivor, hardened, only she has hope.  Strangely enough, R seems to give her the hope in the future, for change, for health.

One of my favorite parts is reading about the culture of the zombies, their rituals and human-like attitudes.  Even though people see them as inhuman corpses, they ironically have very similar situations and compulsions as the living. Isaac Marion has created a story that can capture the attention and imagination of the reader from the beginning.

Stars: 4/5

Praise:

"Marion is a disarming writer, ruefully humorous, knowingly cinematic in scape. This is a slacker-zombie novel with heart."
     --The Guardian

"Warm Bodies is a terrific book - a compelling literary fantasy which is also a strange and affecting pop-culture parable."
     -- Nick Harkaway, author of The Gone-Away World

"A mesmerizing evolution of a classic contemporary myth."
     --Simon Pegg, actor in Shaun of the Dead

Book Challenges 2013

It's that time of year again! It's time to join some challenges. I've got a couple familiar ones and a couple new so let's get started.

First up:

The 2013 Book Blogger Recommendation Challenge, hosted by Reading with Tequila.

RULES: Participants can read any books from the list of books recommended by bloggers in 2012.  You can decide to read books only from the top 25 or from the entire recommendation list.  Rereads do not count towards your total books.  (All formats acceptable: audiobooks, e-book, etc.)
recommended books

The Levels:
Level I: 5 books
Level II: 10 books
Level III: 15 books
Level IV: 20 books
Level V: 20 + books


Level I - 5 books
1. Cinder by Marissa Meyer
2. Divergent by Veronica Roth
3. Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor
4. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
5. And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie
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Second:
2013 TBR Pile Challenge, hosted by Roof Beam Reader.

RULES: Read 12 books from your "to be read" pile.  Each of these books must have been on your bookshelf for at least a full year.  They must be published before 1/1/2012, anything before that is fair game. Create a list of book with two alternatives just in case one or two of your original picks end up in the "can't get through" pile.  Books must be read and reviewed to count as completed.  The 15th of every month there will be a post where you can post your reviews.


1. Dragonflight - Anne McCaffrey (1968)
2. Uglies - Scott Westerfield (2005)
3. Will Grayson, Will Grayson - John Green and David Levithan (2010)
4. Dreamland - Sarah Dessen (2004)
5. Feed - M.T. Anderson (2002)
6. Tuesdays with Morrie - Mitch Albom (1997)
7. Little Women - Louisa May Alcott (1868-69)
8. Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte (1847)
9. Island of Blue Dolphins - Scott O'Dell (1960)
10. Fever 1793 - Laurie Halse Anderson (2000)
11. The Murder of Bindy Mackenzie - Jacolyn Moriarty (2006)
12. How to Be Popular - Meg Cabot (2006)

Alternates:
Kissed By An Angel - Elizabeth Chandler (first published 1998, 2010)
Poisonwood Bible - Barbara Kingsolver (1998)
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Third:
The Eclectic Reader 2013 Challenge, hosted by Book'd Out.


RULES:
This challenge will run from January 1st to December 31st 2013.  Create a blog post committing to your participation.  You can choose your books as you go or create a list in advanced.  You have to read a book from each of the genres listed below.  You can read your chosen titles in any order, at any pace, just complete the challenge by December 21st 2013.  Each time you read and review a book as part of this challenge, make sure you identify it by adding either a direct statement or the challenge image badge to the post.

This years genres:

1. Translated fiction - Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy 
2. Historical mystery - A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray
3. Romantic suspense - Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor
4. Made into a movie - Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garci and Margaret Stohl
5. New Adult - Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan
6. Urban Fantasy - Valiant by Holly Black 
7. Dystopian - Legend by Marie Lu
8. Memoir - Tuesdays With Morrie by Mitch Albom
9. LGBT - Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins
10. Action Adventure - Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightening Thief by Rick Riordan
11. Humour
12. Published in 2013 - The Summer I Became A Nerd by Leah Rae Miller
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Fourth:

Dystopian Reading Challenge 2013, hosted by Blog of Erised.

RULES: The challenge runs from January 1, 2013 to December 31, 2013.  The books must include some form of post-apocalyptic theme and be full length.  All formats are allowed as well as rereads. Sign up for the challenge with the linky on Blog of Erised's challenge post.

The Levels:
Recruit: 1-6 books
Rebel: 7-12 books
Revolutionist: 13-18 books
Leader: 19+ books

I have chosen Recruit: 1-6 books
1. Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion
2. Legend by Marie Lu
3. Divergent by Veronica Roth
4. Prodigy by Marie Lu
5.
6.
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Fifth:
This is more of a personal challenge. I've been reading off a book list since 2007, but last year I stopped reading from it as much as I usually do. This year I would like to create a nice dent in the list again. There are over 450 books, so it shouldn't be a problem. It's the Teenreads Ultimate Reading List if you'd like to take a look.

My goal is 10 books off the list this year.

1. Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan
2. Watchmen by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons
3. Tuesdays With Morrie by Mitch Albom
4. How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff
5. Legend by Marie Lu
6. Cinder by Marissa Meyer 
7. The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
8. A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray
9. 21 Proms edited by David Levithan and Daniel Ehrenhaft
10. Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor
11. Feed by M.T. Anderson
12. If I Stay by Gayle Forman
13. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
14. Scarlet by Marissa Meyer
15. Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist by David Levithan and Rachel Cohn
16. The Madness Underneath by Maureen Johnson