EVERYTHING UNDER THE SUN by Jessica Redmerski

Title: EVERYTHING UNDER THE SUN

Author: Jessica Redmerski

Pub. Date: August 28, 2017

Publisher: Jessica Redmerski

Formats: Paperback, eBook

Pages: 656

Find it: Goodreads, Amazon, TBD

Thais Fenwick was eleven-years-old when civilization fell, devastated by a virus that killed off the majority of the world’s population. For seven years, Thais and her family lived in a community of survivors deep in the heart of the Appalachian Mountains. But when her town is attacked by raiders, she and her blind sister are taken away to the East-Central Territory where she is destined to live the cruel and unjust kind of life her late mother warned her about. 

Atticus Hunt is a troubled soldier in Lexington City who has spent the past seven years trying to conform to the vicious nature of men in a post-apocalyptic society. He knows that in order to survive, he must abandon his morals and his conscience and become like those he is surrounded by. But when he meets Thais, morals and conscience win out over conformity, and he risks his rank and his life to help her. They escape the city and set out together on a long and perilous journey to find safety in Shreveport, Louisiana. 

Struggling to survive in a world without electricity, food, shelter, and clean water, Atticus and Thais shed their fear of growing too close, and they fall hopelessly in love. But can love survive in such dark times, or is it fated to die with them?

About Jessica:

J.A. (Jessica) Redmerski is a New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author, international bestseller, and award winner, who juggles several different genres. She began self-publishing in 2012, and later with the success of THE EDGE OF NEVER, signed on with Grand Central Publishing/Forever Romance. Her works have been translated into more than twenty languages.

Jessica is a hybrid author who, in addition to working with a traditional publisher, also continues to self-publish. Her popular crime and suspense series, In the Company of Killers, has been optioned for television and film by actor and model William Levy.

Website | Twitter | Amazon Author Page | Facebook | Pinterest | Goodreads


Excerpt:

 “IT WASN’T SUPPOSED TO BE THIS WAY.”

It wasn’t supposed to be this way. I was supposed to travel with him until he got me out of Lexington City and then I was to make a run for it, kill him if I had to—but I didn’t. I was supposed to stay with these people and leave Atticus to do what he wanted, go where he wanted, without me—but I couldn’t. I was supposed to be afraid of him not only because of the terrible man he was when I first laid eyes on him, but also because he was a man—but I wasn’t. I wasn’t afraid of him.

I was afraid for him.

I was afraid of being without him…

“Thais?”

I looked up; my bottom lip quivered.

“I will wait for you,” I said, trying to be strong. I wiped my tears, swallowed hard and nodded.

Atticus dashed outside, pushing the barn door out of his way. Seconds later he came back with the horse. He tossed the quilt we’d slept on the night in the barn, over the horse’s back. Then he went over to the backpacks, stepping around Rachel’s unconscious body, and shoved everything back inside. He helped my arms into the straps of the larger backpack.

Fitting his hands on my hips, Atticus hoisted me up and set me on the horse; I grabbed a hold of the horse’s reins.

“Stay out of sight of the house,” he said as he fitted the smaller backpack and his jacket between my legs. “And cut through the woods there”—he pointed toward the back of the barn—“that’s west; just keep as straight as you can in that direction, but don’t leave the woods.”

I nodded.

He walked with me outside the barn, stopped to look out at the flat land beyond the highway where those who were coming for us would likely be, and then led me around the barn. The deep woods beckoned me out ahead; I couldn’t help but feel intimidated by them, as if they were some kind of final leg of our journey—or the beginning of my journey alone.

Steadying my breath, I looked down at Atticus once more, transfixed on his intense blue eyes, the sculpted shape and rough texture of his handsome face, and I couldn’t imagine at this point never seeing it again.

“I’ll come for you,” he promised.

Tearing my gaze from his, I faced forward and tightened my grip of the reins.

Giveaway Details:

5 winners will receive signed paperbacks of EVERYTHING UNDER THE SUN with bookmarks and post cards (United States and Canada only).

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Tour Schedule:

Week One:

6/1/2018- Here's to Happy Endings- Review

Week Two:

6/4/2018- Savings in Seconds- Review

6/5/2018- Peaceful Oblivion- Review

6/6/2018- Bookhounds- Interview

6/7/2018- Two Chicks on Books- Excerpt

6/8/2018- Vylithylia Reads- Review

Week Three:

6/11/2018- A Dream Within A Dream- Review

6/12/2018- paseandoamisscultura- Review

6/13/2018- Simply Daniel Radcliffe- Review

6/14/2018- Rainy Day Reviews- Guest Post

6/15/2018- Perspective of a Writer- Review

Week Four:

6/18/2018- Fall Into Books- Excerpt

6/19/2018- Infinite Lives, Infinite Stories - Review

6/20/2018- Hauntedbybooks- Review

6/21/2018- Literary Chaos- Spotlight

6/22/2018- BITTERSWEET ENCHANTMENT- Excerpt

Week Five:

6/25/2018- Dani Reviews Things- Review

6/26/2018- Sincerely Karen Jo- Review

6/27/2018- Book-Keeping- Review

6/28/2018- Ziggy's Reading Corner- Excerpt

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6/29/2018- The Desert Bibliophile- Review

RESTORE ME by Tahereh Mafi

Rating: A+

Synopsis:
Juliette Ferrars thought she'd won. She took over Sector 45, was named the new Supreme Commander, and now has Warner by her side. But she's still the girl with the ability to kill with a single touch—and now she's got the whole world in the palm of her hand. When tragedy hits, who will she become? Will she be able to control the power she wields and use it for good?

My thoughts on the book:
I have to admit, I loved the ending of the Shatter Me (what I thought to be) trilogy so much that I was hesitant to revisit this world. I didn't know what was going to happen to my beloved characters, and I didn't want to see the lives they'd worked so hard for be upended again. However, I was intrigued. Most authors leave a happily ever after alone and don't revisit to let the readers know what happens after the "end of the story." That always irked me a bit because no one's story ends until their life ends, and sometimes it doesn't even end then, so how could a character's story just end at this really convenient spot? The nice, neat endings do offer a reader some comfort, a sense of closure, if you will. Clearly Mafi didn't want us to have closure with Juliette's story, though, because Juliette's story continues AFTER the happily ever after, and we find out that things aren't so happy... and that we don't know half as much about any of these characters as we thought we did. 

Juliette got on my nerves a few times in this book, and I used to love her so much. I felt like she was a bit bratty at times, but I could understand her frustration at everyone underestimating her. I think she also underestimated herself, though, and needed to take advice instead of running off to prove she was a grown up. Warner disappointed me some in this book. He just, ugh, he is just so bad at peopling. He grew a lot in this installment, and I enjoyed that, but he broke my heart at times, too. Kenji was hilarious as usual, and I love some of the new characters. I was glad that I didn't have to see much of Adam in this novel, since he's not my favorite.

The writing was glorious, which is typical of Mafi. It felt different, though. It also showed how much Juliette had grown. No longer did she have disjointed sentences in her thinking. Her thoughts were more coherent, less desperate, and less broken. Some of the passages still blew me away, though. I think my favorite quote in the entire book was, "For years my goal was to minimize myself--to fold and refold myself into a polygon of nothingness, to be too insignificant to be remembered. I wanted to appear innocent; I was worried always about how my very existence was terrifying to others and I did everything in my power to diminish myself, my light, my soul. I wanted to desperately to placate the ignorant. I wanted so badly to appease the assholes who judged me without knowing me that I lost myself in the process. But now? Now, I laugh. Out loud. Now, I don't give a shit." By this point in the book, Juliette is turning into someone we can all be proud of. She's a strong woman and a force to be reckoned with.

The pacing was spot-on, and the big reveals kept me guessing. The ending was a cliffhanger, which I hate, so I am counting the days until the next book in the series comes out.

If I haven't said it before, I'll say it now: You need to read this series. These books change lives. They have given me strength when nothing else could. You need the Shatter Me series in your life.

THE BLACK KEY by Amy Ewing

Rating: A-
Synopsis:
For too long, Violet and the people of the outer circles of the Lone City have lived in service to the royalty of the Jewel. But now the secret society known as the Black Key is preparing to seize power.

And while Violet knows she is at the center of this rebellion, she has a more personal stake in it—her sister, Hazel, has been taken by the Duchess of the Lake. Now, after fighting so hard to escape the Jewel, Violet must do everything in her power to return to save not only Hazel, but the future of the Lone City.

My thoughts on the book:
As most of you know, I have been in love with this series since The Jewel came out. It started out as a unique view of dystopian worlds, and the second book in the trilogy brought up deeper thoughts and ideas to think about. The Black Key expanded on the themes of colonialism, freedom of choice (and consequences), and classism. This final installment did not disappoint, and Ewing left me with a lot to think about after I finished the book. 

Violet, like most leading characters, grew throughout the course of the trilogy. However, unlike a lot of literature, she was still flawed and still made mistakes, even after she learned to take responsibility for her actions and saw what some choices cost. While I was frustrated with her at times, I really appreciated the fact that she remained a real and relatable character. Through Violet's trials and mistakes, other characters grew as well, including Ash. He wasn't my favorite in this installment, but he at least got more fleshed out and became a strong character in his own right. Lucien and Garnet were my favorites, though I would have liked to have seen a bit more of Garnet's complexity toward the end of this book. I also would have liked to have seen more of how being in the Jewel changed Hazel. I felt like that her growth was a bit rushed since she was such a background character until midway through the 2nd novel, and I think that really didn't do her justice. 

The Black Key started off kind of slow, in my opinion, but by the 4th chapter, things really picked up and I became invested in the story. After that event/Violet's decision, which started the narrative of freedom of choice and consequences, the Violet had trials coming at her from all directions, and it was interesting to see how she navigated each of those. Some of her decisions had dire consequences, and it really helped me see that even though we all can make small "incorrect" decisions from time to time, it's not our fault when something horrific happens because of those choices. Yes, Violet could have made a couple of decisions better, but the outcomes of those choices were a lot harsher than they should have been. I've made some small decisions in my own life that ended terribly bad, and I always beat myself up over that, just like Violet did. But through Ewing's writing, I was able to see that Violet wasn't at fault. The people who took things too far were the ones to blame for the horrific consequences, and that helped me view my own life differently. I love when novels can change the way that I look at things as well. 

In addition to the narrative of choice, there was also a background narrative of colonialism and the prices that are paid for people colonizing an area. As this novel shows, history is written by the winners, and because of that so many people didn't know who or what they were. The royals attempted genocide on the indigenous race, much like the English attempted genocide on America's indigenous peoples, and many colonizers (royals) didn't know that the indigenous race still survived. The terrifying lengths that the royals went to in order to control the indigenous population and get all that they could out of them mirrored how many corporations, and even our own government, treats our very own indigenous population in America. Ewing masterfully weaves these two narratives together and creates a unique and enthralling story about Violet and the history of the Lone City.

Overall, I'd recommend this series to anyone who enjoys unique dystopian and/or fantasy novels. Ewing assumes her readers are intelligent people, and she gives us a lot to think about with this trilogy. Her storytelling is excellent, and while there were some really harsh moments in this book, I feel like I'm a better person for reading it. Ewing has a strong voice, and she definitely has a lot to say about society. I look forward to her next project.

UNPLUGGED by Donna Freitas

Rating: C-
Synopsis:
The first book in a provocative new series from acclaimed author Donna Freitas—Feed for a new generation.

Humanity is split into the App World and the Real World—an extravagant virtual world for the wealthy and a dying physical world for the poor. Years ago, Skylar Cruz’s family sent her to the App World for a chance at a better life.

Now Skye is a nobody, a virtual sixteen-year-old girl without any glamorous effects or expensive downloads to make her stand out in the App World. Yet none of that matters to Skye. All she wants is a chance to unplug and see her mother and sister again.

But when the borders between worlds suddenly close, Skye loses that chance. Desperate to reach her family, Skye risks everything to get back to the physical world. Once she arrives, however, she discovers a much larger, darker reality than the one she remembers.

In the tradition of M. T. Anderson’s Feed and Scott Westerfeld’s Uglies, Unplugged kicks off a thrilling and timely sci-fi series for teens from an award-winning writer.

My thoughts on the book:
Unplugged grabbed my interest due to its use of Descartes' philosophy, better known as "the Matrix philosophy." I wanted to see how this book, where you could exist only in your head or in your body - with two fully developed worlds - portrayed that philosophy. It fell a bit short, to be honest. The world-building wasn't done in a way where everything made sense, which made it hard to achieve a willing suspension of disbelief. Some of the things that happened in the book also didn't really make sense, in a scientific way, and were not explained well at all. Furthermore, the "romance" was kind of god awful. A lot of questions were left unanswered throughout the story and even in the abrupt end (the book just kind of stopped without warning. Not a good conclusion for book 1 or lead-in for book 2), and it didn't add mystery as much as it created annoyance. The pacing was okay, and the concept itself was interesting, which kept me reading, but the writing wasn't that great. I'm not sure if I'll read book 2 or not. 

The characters were okay, but none of them felt fully developed. Skye was maybe pretty or maybe not. Not sure, to be honest. She just kind of existed as this shell who liked the ocean and maybe or maybe not liked a boy. Rain was dull and annoying. I think the author was going for mysterious with him, but I just saw him as wishy-washy, kind of weak-minded, and bland. Lacy was maybe a mean girl or maybe she wasn't. Not sure. No one's personalities were really defined, much like the worlds (real and app) weren't really defined. I needed more information on all accounts to fully immerse myself in this world and story. 

Overall, this book was just okay. It wasn't the best thing ever, but it also wasn't awful. I'd recommend checking it out from the library before buying it.

CITY OF LIGHT by Keri Arthur

Rating: B+
Synopsis:
The first in an all-new futuristic fantasy series from Keri Arthur—the New York Times bestselling author of the Souls of Fire novels.

When the bombs that stopped the species war tore holes in the veil between this world and the next, they allowed entry to the Others—demons, wraiths, and death spirits who turned the shadows into their hunting grounds. Now, a hundred years later, humans and shifters alike live in artificially lit cities designed to keep the darkness at bay....

As a déchet—a breed of humanoid super-soldiers almost eradicated by the war—Tiger has spent her life in hiding. But when she risks her life to save a little girl on the outskirts of Central City, she discovers that the child is one of many abducted in broad daylight by a wraith-like being—an impossibility with dangerous implications for everyone on earth.

Because if the light is no longer enough to protect them, nowhere is safe...

My thoughts on the book:
I didn't know what to expect with this novel, to be honest, but I really enjoyed it. I generally like Arthur's work quite a bit, and this book was no exception. The characters were well-developed, the worldbuilding was done wonderfully, and the pacing was spot on. The ending tied things up nicely but set up the sequel, which I can't wait for. If you're looking for a unique spin on Dystopian novels, this book is definitely for you.

Tiger was a super strong female lead. I really loved her. She wasn't callous or angsty or bitter. She was just strong. She accepted things as they were and made the best out of her situations. She did what she had to do in order to live up to her own standards, everyone else be damned, and I really loved that about her. The men in the book were interesting, but Sal was a weak character, in my opinion. I really liked Jonas, and I think he'd be a good match for Tiger. The other men weren't present much, so I didn't get to form any lasting opinions on them. Nuri was interesting. I'm not sure what I think about her yet. I really loved the ghosts that Tiger interacted with and how she viewed them as equal to the living. I could appreciate that outlook. 

The plot was pretty fast paced and there was a lot of action. Some sex and romance, but nothing too extensive. A lot of violence, but nothing graphic. The story and world were dark enough without graphic descriptions of darkness. I appreciated Arthur going light on that. The world made sense, though, and I could picture the world that Tiger lived in. It wasn't as desolate as some Dystopian worlds, but it was pretty bleak. I think things will get better, though. Just a feeling I have. 

Overall, I'd recommend this book to fans of Dystopian novels and fans of Keri Arthur. She lives up to her great reputation with this novel, and these characters and this world are intriguing and full of mystery and suspense that you won't want to miss. 

THE WHITE ROSE by Amy Ewing

Rating: B-
Synopsis:
Violet is on the run. After the Duchess of the Lake catches Violet with Ash, the hired companion at the Palace of the Lake, Violet has no choice but to escape the Jewel or face certain death. So along with Ash and her best friend, Raven, Violet runs away from her unbearable life of servitude.

But no one said leaving the Jewel would be easy. As they make their way through the circles of the Lone City, Regimentals track their every move, and the trio barely manages to make it out unscathed and into the safe haven they were promised—a mysterious house in the Farm.

But there’s a rebellion brewing, and Violet has found herself in the middle of it. Alongside a new ally, Violet discovers her Auguries are much more powerful than she ever imagined. But is she strong enough to rise up against the Jewel and everything she has ever known?

The White Rose is a raw, captivating sequel to The Jewel that fans won’t be able to put down until the final shocking moments.

My thoughts on the book:
I really enjoyed The Jewel, so I was looking forward to its sequel. While The White Rose didn't necessarily disappoint me, it didn't really live up to my expectations, either. The relationship between Violet and Ash is already falling flat, and Raven is annoying, too. The plot itself is okay, but some of the stuff is just not 100% believable, even for a work of fiction. The pacing is a bit slow in spots, and the ending isn't exactly memorable. I'm still looking forward to the next installment, but I'm not as excited about it as I was before reading The White Rose.

Violet is a decent character, even though she's a bit self-absorbed at times. I still enjoy reading from her perspective, and she is growing throughout the course of the novel. Some of her decisions are strange, but overall, she's a pretty solid lead. Ash is getting to be annoying. He's like a child who wants to help his mommy in the kitchen, but only makes a mess. I'm just not a huge fan of his anymore. The same goes for Raven. She's obnoxious and needy, and I kind of just want her to go away. The rest of the characters aren't that memorable. Lucien is becoming pretty interesting, though.

The plot itself is a bit boring in places, though it does take detours through Ash's past. At the end of the day, though, Ash just seems bitter, angsty, and whiny. I would much prefer a different love interest. Anyway, on top of that, the world-building and growth is extremely well-done, The writing itself is lovely and engaging. And aside from some clunky parts, the story flows nicely. The ending isn't exactly memorable, but it isn't awful, either. 

Overall, I'd recommend this book to anyone who enjoyed The Jewel. It's definitely a decent follow-up. 

Order The White Rose

THE VEIL by Chloe Neill

Rating: F
Synopsis:
Seven years ago, the Veil that separates humanity from what lies beyond was torn apart, and New Orleans was engulfed in a supernatural war. Now, those with paranormal powers have been confined in a walled community that humans call the District. Those who live there call it Devil's Isle.

Claire Connolly is a good girl with a dangerous secret: she’s a Sensitive, a human endowed with magic that seeped through the Veil. Claire knows that revealing her skills would mean being confined to Devil’s Isle. Unfortunately, hiding her power has left her untrained and unfocused.

Liam Quinn knows from experience that magic makes monsters of the weak, and he has no time for a Sensitive with no control of her own strength. But when he sees Claire using her powers to save a human under attack—in full view of the French Quarter—Liam decides to bring her to Devil’s Isle and the teacher she needs, even though getting her out of his way isn’t the same as keeping her out of his head.

But when the Veil threatens to shatter completely, Claire and Liam must work together to stop it, or else New Orleans will burn…

My thoughts on the book:
The Veil is one of the biggest disappointments of the year. I was looking forward to getting a fresh start with Ms. Neill since I tired of the Chicagoland Vampire Series after that ridiculous nonsense with Ethan. I really loved her YA series, but for some reason the publishers and author decided not to complete it. I was hoping that this book would be as intriguing as the early Chicagoland Vampire books, but it was not. There was so much description that I was bored to tears. I actually fell asleep once while reading this book, and it was the middle of the day! I read until the end, hoping that something amazing would happen, but I was let down again. This book had a lot of potential. Unfortunately almost none of it was realized. 

Claire was a pretty dull leading lady. Of course we had a grad student (linguistics instead of English this time), but Tadji was Claire's best friend. Claire didn't stand out much. She could supposedly fix things, but I didn't see her put a single thing back together successfully. Gunnar was the token gay friend, and Liam was a really boring love interest. Sure he's a bounty hunter and that should make him bad ass, but he was just meh. I liked Tadji the best, to be honest, but we didn't get to see a ton of her. 

There was so much description that the pacing was thrown completely off. For some ungodly reason, Neill felt the need to describe every speck of dirt on every single block. And if we happened to return to the same block, she'd describe every speck of dirt AGAIN, like we hadn't just been there 5 pages ago. I get it. New Orleans looks like crap because of what happened. I didn't need it beat into my head by 2-3 page long descriptions every scene. I started skimming over the insanely long descriptions after the first 75% of the book. I just couldn't take it anymore. Not much really happened. Basically boring Claire and dull Liam ran around in circles looking for wraiths and having no chemistry. What happened to the steaming hot sexual tension between Merit and Ethan? Did Neill use all of that up in her other series? There was absolutely nothing between Claire and Liam. Maybe if Claire had quit gawking at her surroundings like some redneck tourist and paid attention to Liam instead of analyzing specks of dirt, things could have been different, but that didn't happen. The ending was so uneventful that I don't even remember it, and I finished the book last night. 

Overall I did not enjoy this book. I know that a lot of people seemed to like it, and I'm sure that those of you who like tons of description and world-building will love it, but the novel just wasn't for me. I think I'll be skipping this series. 

THE FEARLESS by Emma Pass

Rating: D
Release Date: 4/24/15
Synopsis:
The Fearless. An army, powered by an incredible new serum that makes each soldier stronger, sharper, faster than their enemies. Intended as a force for good, the serum has a terrible side-effect - anyone who takes it is stripped of all humanity, empathy, love. And as the Fearless sweep through the country, forcing the serum on anyone in their path, society becomes a living nightmare.

Cass remembers the night they passed through her village. Her father was Altered. Her mother died soon after. All Cass has left is her little brother - and when Jory is snatched by the Fearless and taken to their hellish lair, Cass must risk everything to get him back.

My thoughts on the book:

This book had a lot of potential to be good, but it was just depressing. I couldn't connect to any of the characters, and I really didn't care what happened to any of them. The storyline itself wasn't as interesting as it could have been, and I had all of the "mysteries" figured out well before the "reveal" because the author basically told me what was happening instead of dropping hints. Because of all of these things, I had trouble working my way through this one, but I finally did manage to finish it. 

Cass had a rough life, and she was just existing instead of living. All she cared about was Jory, and when she lost him, she risked her own survival to save him. That was admirable, but her adventure was so boring. She just wasn't someone I could emotionally relate to at all. And the dull guy whose name I can't even remember who took her onto the mainland was also unrelatable. Furthermore, there was no chemistry between them. And her psychopath friend who supposedly loved her wasn't any better. 

Overall, I'd say skip this book, or check it out from the library before buying. I know some people liked it, but it really fell flat for me. 

RED QUEEN by Victoria Aveyard

Rating: A-
Release Date: 2/10/15
Synopsis:
The poverty stricken Reds are commoners, living under the rule of the Silvers, elite warriors with god-like powers.

To Mare Barrow, a 17-year-old Red girl from The Stilts, it looks like nothing will ever change.

Mare finds herself working in the Silver Palace, at the centre of
those she hates the most. She quickly discovers that, despite her red blood, she possesses a deadly power of her own. One that threatens to destroy Silver control.

But power is a dangerous game. And in this world divided by blood, who will win?

My thoughts on the book:
The Red Queen is a unique take on the class systems in Dystopian literature. The people are segregated by the color of their blood, and the people with red blood are ordinary humans. The people with silver blood have magic, and they are the upper echelon of society. It's very interesting to see what happens when red and silver blood meet and how horrified the Silvers are of change. Aveyard describes her world well, and the characters are well-developed and flawed. There is no real "good guy" in this book, and I like that. The story is complex, and there are a lot of curve balls thrown throughout the course of the novel. If you're looking for something more complex than your typical Dystopian, look no further. 

Mare is the protagonist of the book, and while I rooted for her, she makes some horrible decisions. She is deceitful and spiteful and falls into the Silver lifestyle a bit too easily. Those faults make her very believable. Most people would do the same thing when they were thrust into a completely different lifestyle than the one they grew up in. She isn't a bad person, she is just confused. I really enjoyed reading from Mare's perspective, though she isn't the most reliable of narrators. I really like Cal, and I wish that things had gone differently with him. I can't wait to see what he does next and what his relationship with Mare ends up to be. The secondary characters all have unique personalities, too, and stand out in their own right. 

The plot itself is fairly complex and full of surprises. The novel itself is full of intrigue, and there are tons of betrayals to keep you guessing who is messing with whom. The pacing is perfect, and I was hooked from the first page. I read this entire novel in one sitting. I just wish the ending had been a bit happier. I was hoping for something hopeful. However, the next book is going to be super adventurous, I can tell already. The main questions raised in this book were answered in the end, though, and the world-building was perfect. I could easily picture the world Aveyard created. 

Overall, I'd recommend this book to Dystopian fans who are looking for something a little more complex than the normal revolutionary fare. There is no absolute good, and the greyness of everything is refreshing. Give Red Queen a try. You won't be sorry.

Pre-Order Red Queen

TOXIC HEART by Theo Lawrence

Rating: B-
Synopsis:
A city in flames. A trust betrayed. A perfect love destroyed.

Has Aria lost Hunter, her one true love?

Ever since rebellion broke out in Mystic City, pitting the ruling elite against the magic-wielding mystics, Aria has barely seen her boyfriend. Not surprising, since Hunter is the leader of the mystic uprising, and he'll do whatever it takes to win freedom for his people—even if that means using Aria.

But Aria is no one's pawn. She believes she can bring the two warring sides together, save the city, and win back the Hunter she fell in love with.

Before she can play peacemaker, though, Aria will need to find the missing heart of a dead mystic. The heart gives untold powers to whoever possesses it, but finding it means seeking out a fierce enemy whose deepest desire is for Aria to be gone—forever.

My thoughts on the book:
Toxic Heart was a good follow-up to Mystic City, but the book wasn't without its flaws. The most glaring flaw, in my opinion, was no fault of the author's. There were copy-editing mistakes throughout the novel. I really hate when books have shoddy copy editors, especially when they come from major publishing houses. Also, some parts of the story just didn't flow. However, the characters were fantastic and evolved throughout the course of the novel. The plot itself was intriguing, and the writing was well-done. Even though this series and the Black City series are almost identical (I prefer this series), the story and characters stood out enough that I enjoyed the book and will continue the series. 

Aria was a really inspiring character in this novel. While she did pine away after Hunter some, she really spent most of her time and energy focusing on what needed to be done. Her thoughts, actions ,and feelings seemed realistic, and she really showed her strength several times in this book, especially in the third section. Aria grew into someone who I could root for. She carved out her own space in this messed up world that Lawrence created. Hunter turned into a giant jerk, and I wasn't his biggest fan. He went a little crazy, and then acted surprised when people didn't support his ridiculous ideas. Kyle, Aria's brother, turned into a worthy and terrible foe by the end of this novel. I feel like he's more of a threat than his parents are. Turk really won me over. I absolutely adored him. I can't wait to see what happens with him next. The new characters were all intriguing in their own way. While Shannon got on my nerves, I really loved Ryah. I can't wait to get to know these new additions better. 

The plot itself was pretty strong, though the story didn't flow perfectly. Some parts were choppy and just didn't fit right. Also, Lawrence introduced a love triangle, and I absolutely hate love triangles. However, Aria already made a decision, and her decision was different from what most YA heroines would choose, so I did like that. We'll see what she does next. The pacing was pretty spot on. Nothing really dragged for me. Some things felt rushed, and some of the decisions the characters made were a bit dumb, to say the least. I'll be interested to see the repercussions of those decisions in the next installment. The ending tied things up nicely and finished this novel on a strong note and gave a huge hint as to what the third book would cover. I'm looking forward to seeing what Aria does next. 

Overall, I'd recommend this book and series to anyone who loves Dystopians. As previously mentioned, this series doesn't really stand out. It's very similar to the Black City series, but I enjoy the characters and writing more in this series. Either way, Aria is a stronger female lead than most YA novels have, and that alone sets this series apart. If you like Dystopian novels, give this series a try. 

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