Review: Venus City by Tabitha Vale

Venus City
Tabitha Vale
Series: Legacy of the Sares #1
Release date: February 14th 2012

Goodreads / Purchase

"His magenta eyes flashed up to meet hers and for a moment she thought she saw something spark behind them—something fierce, something challenging."

In a city where boys’ eyes are magenta and their emotions of lust, anger, greed, and ambition are remarkably absent, spoiled Braya Vace finds herself in the biggest problem of her young life when she meets handsome, blue-eyed Asher Benedict. It wasn’t supposed to be possible. There wasn’t supposed to be anyone else living outside Venus City.

As she tries to unravel the mystery of Asher and his group of foreigner boys, the rest of Braya’s life seems to crumble apart around her. A disapproving mother, a sick younger sister, a mysterious brother, and a humiliating career as a Bride are just a few of the things that Braya has to deal with. Those, and her conflicting feelings for Asher.

*A copy was provided by Tabitha Vale for review purposes*

I'm a sucker for anything dystopian/post apocalypse. I get this unnatural urge to need to read any and all. Maybe it's a sign the apocalypse is coming and my intuition knows I need to be prepared (and I will be!). Obviously, having read so many, my expectations have become quite high. It needs to stand out, become memorable and exciting with strong leads. Sadly, this one didn't quite succeed.

Braya is spoiled rotten. She's always gotten what she wanted, until now. I actually didn't mind her high and mighty attitude at first. It was amusing and kind of entertaining. But then... (yep you knew it was coming), it just never stopped. She is constantly rude, then she gets these violent outburst; I did not like her, at all. My problems with her aren't restricted to her attitude. Her whole personality strongly clashes with the type I can relate to. When she meets the Asher, the main male character, she wakes up with him having binded himself to her making it so he can control her. He can order her to do anything he wants, and she has to obey. If she doesn't, the pain she feels is so severe she passes out from it. If it was me, I would have been PISSED off. Braya? She complains a bit, then shrugs it off. She doesn't even ask why. Why her? What does he need control over her for? She wasn't very unconcerned about it at all and to me that's either incredibly naive, or simply unbelievable. 

"The link that bonds us", he said […] "has nothing to do with mind control, as you suspect. It's merely a tool meant to make you do as I say" 

"Oh Bray. I had hoped we could be the type of master and slave who got on well. Became friends. Built trust. Braided each other's hair."

-Quotes from finished copy of Venus City

Oh really? Is that all, Asher? Manipulator extraordinaire; not only does he call their "bond" master-slave, he can also turn invisible and uses this to follow her without her knowledge. Why is it that so many YA books nowadays have male leads that are complete jerks who we're supposed to fall for (yes, Braya develops feelings for him)? I can not root for these guys. It's just not in me. There are two main type of male personalities that I despise: one is the controller, the other is the creepy stalker. Asher, falling in both categories, makes my skin crawl. Furthermore, he refuses to give any answers to Braya about his whole purpose at Venus City, which to me felt like nothing more than a way to keep the reader in the dark. It's a good approach when it's suspenseful. But in this case it's only irritating as there are no apparent reasons to be keeping secrets from her.

The dystopian future starts out very interesting and original. It reminded me vaguely of Wither: the girls are brides and they go through the training with their sister wives. The similarities end there, howevere. This one combines a lot of unique elements, from the addition of magic to intriguing lore. It's strange, but I liked it. From the start I noticed it was more showing rather than telling. We have to go with the flow, getting bits and pieces of the world building periodically throughout the story. There are still a few dark holes left at the end, though. Mostly, I wanted to get to more of the bigger picture, especially further details about the war, past and present. Nonetheless, the world is creative, it has some beautiful imagery, and the plot is captivating. I also enjoyed the sister-wives who are all especially charming. I loved their butting differences and witty personalities. If it wasn't for my dislike of the main roles I'm sure this novel would have appealed to me a great deal. But as it stands, it wasn't enough to keep my interest and I ended up skimming the last 60 pages or so.

With so many dystopians, I have to say that Venus City does have some unique factors that makes the premise especially compelling. Regardless, I can't really recommend it because I cringe at anyone being exposed to these behaviors and thinking they are acceptable.  

2 Espressos

Review: The Lost Code by Kevin Emerson

The Lost Code
Kevin Emerson
Series: The Atlanteans #1
Release date: May 22nd, 2012
by HarperCollins Children's Books

Goodreads / Purchase

WHAT IS OLDEST WILL BE NEW, WHAT IS LOST SHALL BE FOUND.

The ozone is ravaged, ocean levels have risen, and the sun is a daily enemy. But global climate change is not something new in the Earth’s history.

No one will know this better than less-than-ordinary Owen Parker, who is about to discover that he is the descendant of a highly advanced ancient race—a race that took their technology too far and almost destroyed the Earth in the process.

Now it is Owen’s turn to make right in his world what went wrong thousands of years ago. If Owen can unlock the lost code in his very genes, he may rediscover the forgotten knowledge of his ancestry…and that less-than-ordinary can evolve into extraordinary.

*A copy was provided by Kevin Emerson for review purposes*

I had no idea what I was getting into when I started this. The blurb gives off a dystopian, sci-fi feel to it. It obviously has some mythology too with the series titled The Atlanteans. So I wasn't sure how all this would fit together in one novel. Well, let's just say that it doesn't lack in originality! A futuristic dystopian world, domes, special genes, Greek mythology, secrets, and an adventure like no other. This is what you can expect from the world created in The Lost Code. Regardless of my rating, I was truly absorbed in this world at the start. It's so different, so much potential running through these pages that I had truly high hopes for it. I can honestly see some readers enjoying this, but I think it would attract specific tastes rather than a general readership.

My problems began with the slow, drawn out way the story is told. We start with a bang with Owen dying, this is then followed by lots of strange happenings that very much intrigued me. But then it takes a very long while to get further into the plot. We spend a lot of time with mostly unproductive tedious details and lengthy paragraphs about the summer camp the book is set in, instead of fleshing out the world and characters, or most importantly, moving on to the heart in the story: the mythology. With over 400 pages, I found myself getting bored and wanting to get to the point. By the time this happened - almost 3/4 through - my enthusiasm for it had died down so much that I wasn't able to enjoy the stronger ending.

This future is bleak. The world is basically uninhabitable because of the sun's deadly rays. People are forced to live underground or inside these Eden domes where everything is fake, but perfect. I didn't particularly buy this. Not the future itself - that is actually plausible, but the domes aren't especially believable. For one, how do they go about getting resources to keep the domes alive? And everyone is so care-free about it all. I never sensed the urgency that you get from dystopian futures where everything is on the brink of destruction. Making the setting inside this perfect, pretend world removes the dismal feeling I was expected to garner.

Our protagonist Owen is a character that I initially found interesting. He's very self conscious without much social experience. He's a bit of an outsider in his cabin but then he starts to realize he's different - very different. However, I never got to know him much more than this. I felt disconnected from him personally, this led me to become a bit detached from the story overall, not really feeling it. I also had a very hard time with his internal dialogue which he refers to as "technicians" dealing with his different organs and needs:

"The technician watching my heartbeat whispered to his neighbor, who was in charge of my blood-oxygen levels. Her screen flashed ominously. A persistent beeping made her head shake. 'There's not much more I can do', she said. 'We're going to need air'."   

-Quoted from the uncorrected proof

He has conversations and watches them "work" like this. Those parts just made me uncomfortable; I found it so bizarre. It's part of the reason I couldn't relate to Owen. There is also a little romance but I never felt real passion or chemistry between them. This may simply be because of everything stated above.

By the end, the story does pick up quite a bit with elaborate Atlantis mythology. If you can get past the overly descriptive nature of the book, the premise has immense potential. The ideas are clearly new and creative; it could become an overall great series especially with some more character development. I'd recommend this to fans of Percy Jackson, but expect a more lengthy, slower paced adventure. 

2 Hot Espressos

My Super Sweet Sixteenth Century Exclusive!

My Super Sweet Sixteenth Century
Rachel Harris
Release date: September 11th 2012
by Entangled Publishing

Add it to your Goodreads

On the precipice of her sixteenth birthday, the last thing lone wolf Cat Crawford wants is an extravagant gala thrown by her bubbly stepmother and well-meaning father. So even though Cat knows the family’s trip to Florence, Italy, is a peace offering, she embraces the magical city and all it offers. But when her curiosity leads her to an unusual gypsy tent, she exits . . . right into Renaissance Firenze.

Thrust into the sixteenth century armed with only a backpack full of contraband future items, Cat joins up with her ancestors, the sweet Alessandra and protective Cipriano, and soon falls for the gorgeous aspiring artist Lorenzo. But when the much-older Niccolo starts sniffing around, Cat realizes that an unwanted birthday party is nothing compared to an unwanted suitor full of creeptastic amore.

Can she find her way back to modern times before her Italian adventure turns into an Italian forever?

Old cover vs new cover

Who's excited for this!? I was surprise to see a redesign already for Rachel's upcoming time travel novel. I thought the first one was great, but this redesign is even better! I especially love the font of the new one and I find it overall a lot more eye catching! I, for one, am excited to read this one!

Continue reading for an excerpt, the book trailer, and a sweet giveaway!

Xpresso Weekly: Stacking the Shelves (4)

Xpresso Weekly is my edition of Stacking the Shelves hosted by Tynga's Reviews featuring the books
I got this week, and I also mention blog news/happenings of the past week.

So how is everyone this lovely Sunday? We've gotten great weather here so I'm super happy. Did you miss anything on the blog this week? Well, there was the fabulous Jen Calonita who dropped by for an interview - check it out here. I'm also co-hosting a chat party on June 1st with one of my BFFs Kara from Great Imaginations, come join the fun! Here's the party announcement. And make sure you get your last entries for the Something Strange and Deadly ARC giveaway - it ends on Friday!

This week I reviewed:
- The Princesses of Iowa by M. Molly Backes
- Awaited by Lynn Rush
- Insurgent by Veronica Roth
- Of Poseidon by Anna Banks
- The Weepers: The Other Life by Susanne Winnacker

I got for review (click on cover for Goodreads):
I only got 2 books this week, I'm actually glad to finally have a small haul, I was able to do some catching up! And I'm super excited for both of these titles which I was highly anticipating.

Short and sweet, lovelies!
What pretties did you get this week?
Link me up! :)

Review: The Weepers by Susanne Winnacker

The Weepers: The Other Life
Susanne Winnacker
Series: The Other Life, #1
Release date: May 15th, 2012
by Marshall Cavendish

Goodreads / Purchase

3 years, 1 month, 1 week and 6 days since I’d seen daylight. One-fifth of my life.

Sherry and her family have lived sealed in a bunker in the garden since things went wrong up above. Her grandfather has been in the freezer for the last three months, her parents are at each other’s throats and two minutes ago they ran out of food.

Sherry and her father leave the safety of the bunker and find a devastated and empty LA, smashed to pieces by bombs and haunted by ‘Weepers’ - rabid humans infected with a weaponized rabies virus.

While searching for food in a supermarket, Sherry’s father disappears and Sherry is saved by Joshua, a boy-hunter. He takes her to Safe-haven, a tumble-down vineyard in the hills outside LA, where a handful of other survivors are picking up the pieces of their ‘other lives’. As she falls in love for the first time, Sherry must save her father, stay alive and keep Joshua safe when his desire for vengeance threatens them all.

*A copy was provided by Marshall Cavendish for review purposes*

"The dead skin looked like it belonged to a snake, and its spine looked strange. The Vertebrae were took big and pushed against the skin as enormous white bumps. With every intake of breath, they got more prominent, as though they might poke right through."

-Quoted from the uncorrected proof

Weepers aren't your usual zombies. These ones can look like humans, or like a fury beast, they even sleep. But what stands out the most is their intelligence. They live in nests, they stock up "prey" for winter, they're somewhat organized, and they know how to hunt you! In a way they sort of reminded me of the zombies in I Am Legend. In one word - terrifying. Sherry sees one for the first time when she finally comes out of their bunker after 3 years. You have to admit that this premise is spine chilling. Being cooped up while god knows what is happening outside. Coming out with absolutely no idea of what to expect, and realizing it's way more than you bargained for. The right vibe is definitely there; the writing is compelling. It's dark, dreary, with a constant uneasy feeling. Some may be annoyed by the constant numbering of days, but I found it grounding. Furthermore, seeing as I always look forward to finding out the cause behind the apocalypse, I was fascinated by the explanation in the Weepers. How it started, how the world reacted at first, basically what happened; it's alarming and original, also plausible. In theory these are not actually zombies - they have a mutated Rabies virus that turned them into flesh eating beasts - yet it still satisfied my zombie itch. Even if it's slightly predictable, the ending made me take a step back. It ups the ante in how complex the whole thing actually is.

The book is very short, so we go through the story at high speeds. There's just enough suspense to keep your imagination running wild; nothing's disclosed right away, and the info we do get evokes immediate questions, drawing you in. There are also occasional flashbacks that I found especially captivating simply because it shows normalcy that has since become a rarity. Moments of her other life that she may have taken for granted. I did find that as soon as I started to really get into it, the book was over. There's undeniably some good plot development, but I still felt like it ended too soon; just when things were starting to get moving.

For this same reason, the character development isn't as strong as it could have been. Sherry is a good, but fairly plain protagonist. She's a tad naive and her reactions lack the distress that you'd expect. She doesn't seem fazed by having been trapped in a tiny, claustrophobic bunker for over 3 years. You would think there would at least be some mental instability. I didn't feel her situation, her emotions. I also found it a bit irritating when she has constant dilemmas when dealing with the zombie threats. You either gotta shape up, or die! I love heroines who are strong and tough. Sherry - I wanted to slap her silly to wake her the eff up. Notably, she does go through a lot of changes by the end where she becomes much more capable. As for the side characters, they're fine. We've got a decent cast, but none of them truly stand out except for Joshua.

The love interest, Joshua, is a surprisingly convincing character compared to the others. He went through hell since the zombies came, he's got a lot of issues including dealing with some guilt and regret. I could discern his turmoil better than Sherry's. We also get his story in snippets, barely abating our curiosity, but making us crave for this secretive past. The romance that begins with him and Sherry seems forced, though. Fundamentally, it's a cute story with a believable timeline. The problem lays with the necessity to always have a romance, in this case, I would rather we had gone without. It's as if it was added maybe after the fact because she thought it was needed, but it comes off feeling like it was forced in. Especially to the degree she took it. Maybe if this novel had a hint of romance, with a relationship arising in the sequel - at the same time giving the chance for some better characterization - it would have been more effectual. But at this rate it didn't lure me in.

For a zombie book it's really quite good and I was satisfied. It's exciting with some fantastic action scenes along with creative zombie details. Seeing as what's lacking is mostly due to how short the book is, I think the series as a whole could be excellent. If you're a zombie fan, I'd still recommend you get familiar with the world of The Weepers. 

3 Hot Espressos