Cured (Stung, #2) by Bethany Wiggins

Cured by Bethany Wiggins

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Now that Fiona Tarsis and her twin brother, Jonah, are no longer beasts, they set out to find their mother, with the help of Bowen and a former neighbor, Jacqui. Heading for a safe settlement rumored to be in Wyoming, they plan to spread the cure along the way--until they are attacked by raiders. Luckily, they find a new ally in Kevin, who saves them and leads them to safety in his underground shelter. But the more they get to know Kevin, the more they suspect he has ties to the raiders. He also seems to know too many details about Jacqui and her family—details that could endanger them all. For the raiders will do anything they can to destroy the cure that would bring an end to their way of life. Bethany Wiggins’s reimagining of our world after an environmental catastrophe won’t fail to stun readers.
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I enjoyed this book much more than the 1st. While the main characters of 'Stung' are part of this story, the are more supporting actors than main characters. The story is about Jack/Jacqui who has lived with her parents and brothers outside of the wall for the last 4 years trying to survive the raiders who have become prevalent since the bee virus. In order to survive Jacqui has to pretend to be a boy. When her older brother Dean leaves to help get Fo's mother to safety and never returns Jacqui decides to go look for help. She enlists the help of Fo, her boyfriend Bowen and her brother Jonah in her search for her brother.

This story was a can't put down read that I finished in one day.



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Stung (Stung, #1) by Bethany Wiggins

Stung by Bethany Wiggins

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


There is no cure for being stung.

Fiona doesn’t remember going to sleep. But when she opens her eyes, she discovers her entire world has been altered—her house is abandoned and broken, and the entire neighborhood is barren and dead. Even stranger is the tattoo on her right hand—a black oval with five marks on either side—that she doesn’t remember getting but somehow knows she must cover at any cost. She’s right.

Those bearing the tattoo have turned into mindless, violent beasts that roam the streets and sewers, preying upon the unbranded while a select few live protected inside a fortress-like wall, their lives devoted to rebuilding society and killing all who bear the mark.

Now Fiona has awakened branded, alone—and on the wrong side of the wall.

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My 14 year old daughter picked this up at the local library, read it, and raved about how wonderful it was, so I decided to read it before she returned it.

I have to say that I was impressed. I enjoyed the dystopian aspect, with the possible extinction of bees (something we could actually face in our future) as well as the problems arising from new vaccines (again something that we are seeing already) leading up to an end to the world that we know. I will say that this part of the story was lacking. I would have loved it if the author would have delved a bit deeper into the actual events that led to the world that we are seeing, but it is a forgivable problem.

Keeping in mind that this book is intended for a young adult/teen audience some of the simplicity of the plot is understandable. There are issues, but no so that they ruin the story.

I will definitely read the next book when it comes out, just to see what happens next.



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Doomsday (2099, #1) by John Peel

Doomsday by John Peel

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


At the threshold of the next century, Tristan Connor lives in a completely computerized America, a mix of virtual and actual realities. Tristan's clone, a dark-minded genius named Devon, has programmed a computer virus that is about to blow the entire system apart. With the electronic clock ticking down to doomsday, Tristan must stop his evil clone before it's too late -- for everyone.

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This was an interesting start to a teen dystopian series that takes place in 2099. A time in our future when the world relies so completely on the Net that its destruction causes world ending catastrophe.

This first book introduces us to the main characters as well as leads up to the release of the Doomsday virus that starts to destroy the Net.

Looking forward to the rest of the series.



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The Eleventh Plague by Jeff Hirsch

The Eleventh Plague by Jeff Hirsch

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


In an America devastated by war and plague, the only way to survive is to keep moving.

In the aftermath of a war, America’s landscape has been ravaged and two-thirds of the population left dead from a vicious strain of influenza. Fifteen-year-old Stephen Quinn and his family were among the few that survived and became salvagers, roaming the country in search of material to trade. But when Stephen’s grandfather dies and his father falls into a coma after an accident, Stephen finds his way to Settler’s Landing, a community that seems too good to be true. Then Stephen meets strong, defiant, mischievous Jenny, who refuses to accept things as they are. And when they play a prank that goes horribly wrong, chaos erupts, and they find themselves in the midst of a battle that will change Settler’s Landing--and their lives--forever.

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Keeping in mind that this was written as a teen book It was a pretty good read. Interesting take on how America falls with a virus used as a weapon by China. The story revolves around Stephen who is left alone when his father is injured and left in a comma. He chances upon a group of folks who have managed to create a bit of a haven in the chaos that is a future America and Stephen desperately wants to belong but has a hard time fitting in. Overall interesting enough to keep me reading and want to read more by this author.



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The Reapers Are the Angels by Alden Bell

The Reapers Are the Angels by Alden Bell

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Zombies have infested a fallen America. A young girl named Temple is on the run. Haunted by her past and pursued by a killer, Temple is surrounded by death and danger, hoping to be set free.

For twenty-five years, civilization has survived in meager enclaves, guarded against a plague of the dead. Temple wanders this blighted landscape, keeping to herself and keeping her demons inside her heart. She can't remember a time before the zombies, but she does remember an old man who took her in and the younger brother she cared for until the tragedy that set her on a personal journey toward redemption. Moving back and forth between the insulated remnants of society and the brutal frontier beyond, Temple must decide where ultimately to make a home and find the salvation she seeks.

~~~

Maybe I was expecting too much going in because of the rave reviews that I have read but I was a bit disappointed with this book. The prose was bit too much. The author seemed to be trying too hard to make this a deep book, but it is about the end of the world as we know it and it did not fit for me. Another thing that bugged me was that the main character was a 15 year old girl, born 10 years after the beginning of the zombie apocalypse, who is not educated, in fact does not know how to read, but has a very extensive vocabulary. Overall it was an okay read, but not the best zombie novel I have read.



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The Girl Who Owned a City by O.T. Nelson

The Girl Who Owned a City by O.T. Nelson

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


A killing virus has swept the earth, sparing only children through the age of twelve. There is chaos everywhere, even in formely prosperous mid-America. Gangs and fierce armies of children begin to form almost immediately. It would be the same for the children on Grand Avenue but for Lisa, a ten-year-old girl who becomes their leader. Because of Lisa, they have food, even toys, in abundance. And now they can protect themselves from the fierce gangs that roam the neighborhoods. But for how long? Then Lisa conceives the idea of a fortress, a city in which the children could live safely and happily always, and she intends to lead them there.
~~~

Interesting idea and has some good points but overall just a so-so read. It is written in a very juvenile manner which can be explained somewhat by the fact that the characters are all between the ages of 5 and 12 though even a constant reminder of this fact does not override the difficulty of reading something that is so jumbled.

There seems to be a hidden message that the author is trying to get across but it is really hard to decipher what it is in the jumbled ramblings of the main character.

The idea was good but the execution of the novel was not. Not sure if it was worth the time that it took to read or not.



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Santa Olivia (Santa Olivia #1) by Jacqueline Carey

Santa Olivia by Jacqueline Carey

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



Lushly written with rich and vivid characters, SANTA OLIVIA is Jacqueline Carey's take on comic book superheroes and the classic werewolf myth.
Loup Garron was born and raised in Santa Olivia, an isolated, disenfranchised town next to a US military base inside a DMZ buffer zone between Texas and Mexico. A fugitive "Wolf-Man" who had a love affair with a local woman, Loup's father was one of a group of men genetically-manipulated and used by the US government as a weapon. The "Wolf-Men" were engineered to have superhuman strength, speed, sensory capability, stamina, and a total lack of fear, and Loup, named for and sharing her father's wolf-like qualities, is marked as an outsider.
After her mother dies, Loup goes to live among the misfit orphans at the parish church, where they seethe from the injustices visited upon the locals by the soldiers. Eventually, the orphans find an outlet for their frustrations: They form a vigilante group to support Loup Garron who, costumed as their patron saint, Santa Olivia, uses her special abilities to avenge the town.

Aware that she could lose her freedom, and possibly her life, Loup is determined to fight to redress the wrongs her community has suffered. And like the reincarnation of their patron saint, she will bring hope to all of Santa Olivia.

~~~~~

Excellent read, though the blurb is a bit misleading. This is in no way a Paranormal Urban Fantasy and really has absolutely nothing to do with werewolves. I would classify it more as a dystopian or even more of a sci-fi type book, although those don't really classify it correctly either. It is set in the near future in a place that could easily exist.



Loup is the offspring of a genetically altered humanoid. We never really learn how exactly he was altered or even the full extent of how Loup is affected. The town it is set in is caught between the border of Mexico and the United States and has basically ceased to exist as far as the rest of the world is concerned. But really the story is about so much more than that. It is about survival and hope. It is about being different and fighting for what is right even when it is against all odds.



I am very much looking forward to the sequel as I think that we will learn a lot more about Loup and her kind. I hope that we will learn more about life outside of Outpost and learn about what the world has become. What will become of the Santitos that we have gotten to know and love? Can not wait to read the rest of the story!!



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Mockingjay (The Hunger Games #3) by Suzanne Collins

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

My rating: 5 of 5 stars




Katniss Everdeen, girl on fire, has survived, even though her home has been destroyed. Gale has escaped. Katniss's family is safe. Peeta has been captured by the Capitol. District 13 really does exist. There are rebels. There are new leaders. A revolution is unfolding.

It is by design that Katniss was rescued from the arena in the cruel and haunting Quarter Quell, and it is by design that she has long been part of the revolution without knowing it. District 13 has come out of the shadows and is plotting to overthrow the Capitol. Everyone, it seems, has had a hand in the carefully laid plains - except Katniss.

The success of the rebellion hinges on Katniss's willingness to be a pawn, to accept responsibility for countless lives, and to change the course of the future of Panem. To do this, she must put aside her feelings of anger and distrust. She must become the rebels' Mockingjay - no matter what the personal cost.


~~~~~~~~~~


What to say about this final book in the Hunger Games...... I found myself slowing down towards the end because I was so immersed in the world of Panem and the lives of the characters that I did not want to finish. The entire trilogy is heart wrenching, edge of your seat, can't stop reading but this final book takes it up a notch. The devastation that The Huger Games have inflicted on the lives of our characters is just beginning to be seen. In this final book we see what physical and emotional damage they have all endured and their struggle to overcome things that are truly unbearable. This is a story that will stay with me for a long time and when it begins to fade I believe that I will be ready to read it again as a reminder of what true horror is and what it can do to the human spirit.



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Catching Fire (The Hunger Games #2) by Suzanne Collins

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Against all odds, Katniss has won the Hunger Games. She and fellow District 12 tribute Peeta Mellark are miraculously still alive. Katniss should be relieved, happy even. After all, she has returned to her family and longtime friend, Gale. Yet nothing is the way Katniss wishes it to be. Gale holds her at an icy distance. Peeta has turned his back on her completely. And there are whispers of a rebellion against the Capitol - a rebellion that Katniss and Peeta may have helped create.

Much to her shock, Katniss has fueled an unrest she's afraid she cannot stop. And what scares her even more is that she's not entirely convinced she should try. As time draws near for Katniss and Peeta to visit the districts on the Capitol's cruel Victory Tour, the stakes are higher than ever. If they can't prove, without a shadow of a doubt, that they are lost in their love for each other, the consequences will be horrifying.

In Catching Fire, the second novel of the Hunger Games trilogy, Suzanne Collins continues the story of Katniss Everdeen, testing her more than ever before... and surprising readers at every turn.
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I was worried that the author would not be able to follow up the first book in the Hunger Game series, but was wrong! She did a wonderful job of continuing the story. I am glad that we got to see more of Katniss's life outside of the Hunger Games and what life was like in District 12 as well as get a glimpse into the other Districts. While the uprising is kind of played out behind the scenes, it still has a huge impact on the story line. I am very much looking forward to the next book just to see what will happen. How can Katniss possibly make a choice between Peeta and Gale? Will she even get the opportunity or will the choice be taken away from her. Will the uprising be a success and if it is what will the survivors do? So many questions left to be answered.



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The Hunger Games (The Hunger Games #1) by Suzanne Collins

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV.

Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives alone with her mother and younger sister, regards it as a death sentence when she steps forward to take her sister's place in the Games. But Katniss has been close to dead before—and survival, for her, is second nature. Without really meaning to, she becomes a contender. But if she is to win, she will have to start making choices that will weigh survival against humanity and life against love.

~~~



I am late to read this book. I really wanted to wait until I had all 3 books in my hands to start reading and in hindsight I am glad that I waited. I would have been very upset if I had to wait to read #2. That being said there is not a lot for me to add to what others have already said. The book grabs you right from the start. I was moved to tears from the beginning when Prim's name is chosen in the drawing. The characters are developed brilliantly and the pace of the book is perfect. I did not want to put it down until I finished it, but at the same time, I did not want to finish it because I did not want it to end. Most of the story was believable even though it would be a horrific reality. I did have a little trouble with the reincarnated/genetically engineered(?) wolf creatures. I saw no purpose for them unless the author plans to follow up in a latter book. I am not sure how the author is going to be able to follow up in the next 2 books now that the Hunger Games have ended, but I am looking forward to finding out.



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Wool 5: The Stranded (Wool #5) by Hugh Howey

Wool 5: The Stranded by Hugh Howey

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


In July of 2011, a short story named WOOL was quietly released into the vast wilds of the Kindle Store. I never marketed this novelette; I failed to mention it on my website. What happened next was remarkable: People started reading it, and reviewing it, and talking about it.

There was never any intention to create a series. It wasn't until the demand for "more" became so great that I launched into the next four books, each one growing longer and longer, until I was wrapping up the story line with this novel, a full 60,000 word WOOL 5.

I would like to humbly thank everyone who has come along on this journey with me; it has been the most rewarding experience of my young writing career. Your emails, your reviews, your comments on my website, every ounce of your enthusiasm . . . it has combined to grant me enough satisfaction and confidence to last the rest of my writing days.

For those of you who suffered the wait, I hope you'll find it was worth it. This is WOOL 5. Brace yourselves. And enjoy.
~~~


I ran across this series of stories/books when I picked up the first one for free on my Kindle. Sounded like something I would enjoy so I read it and immediately became hooked. I proceeded to purchase the next one as soon as I finished the current one, right up until Wool 5. I waited a couple days before buying it....... simply because I did not want it to end. I knew that when I finished reading it that there would be no more stories about Silo 18 and I did NOT want it to end. I have to say that I was not disappointed. Wool 5 was probably the best so far and I am thrilled to hear that Mr. Howey has plans for more.



He has created a scary, yet intriguing world and I want to immerse myself in it. I can not wait to read about what becomes of Juliette and all of the other inhabitants of Silo 18. I want to know how Solo is managing over in Silo 17 and I really want to find out about life in some of the other Silos.



I know that I will have to wait a while but in the meantime I fully intend to go check out the author's other books. If he managed to create this wonderful world I can only imagine what other fabulous stories he has waiting for me to discover.



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Wool 4 - The Unraveling (Wool #4) by Hugh Howey

Wool 4 - The Unraveling by Hugh Howey

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


The stories are getting longer, yeah!! In Wool 4 we follow two story lines. Juliette's and those in the silo. We follow Juliette as she discovers the a truth about the silo and we see what effect her 'cleaning' has on those left in the silo. We get to see things from both sides as the seeds for a new uprising are sowed. I am very much looking forward to the next book, but at the same time am hesitant to start because I know that it is the last one. (At least for now. I heard a rumor that there may be more in the future.)



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Wool 3: Casting Off (Wool #3) by Hugh Howey

Wool 3: Casting Off by Hugh Howey

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


The silo has appointed a new sheriff. Her name is Juliette, and she comes not from the shadows of deputies, but from the depths of the down deep.

But what does being a mechanic have to do with upholding the law? And how will she be able to concentrate on the silo's future when she is surrounded by the ghosts of its past?

Before she can even settle in, the whirring gears of the silo begin to grind anew. Things aren't right. And the people whose help she most needs are gone.

If Juliette isn't careful, she'll soon be among them.

~~~


Excellent read. As much as I enjoyed the first 2 books in this short story series, this one was even better.



In book #2 we learned more about life inside the silo and this book takes up where that one left off. We follow Juliette as she ascends from the deep pits of the silo, where she has been content to live her life taking care of the machines that allow the silo to survive. She is convinced to take a position as the new sheriff which is the beginning of a life changing journey for not only herself, but for possibly everyone who lives in the silo. As people start to die and revelations are made Juliette begins to question her very existence and what she has always been lead to believe. She makes shocking discoveries that lead her to the place that is most feared in the silo, the outside world.



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Wool 2: Proper Gauge (Wool #2) by Hugh Howey

Wool 2: Proper Gauge by Hugh Howey

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


A cleaning has been performed, and now the silo is without a sheriff. With only one good candidate available, Mayor Jahns and Deputy Mames set off for the Down Deep to recruit her in person. Along the way, they discover much about each other, troubling news about this candidate, and stumble upon fractured alliances that could spell the doom of a silo they've worked long years to protect.

~~~


A wonderful second chapter in this wonderful series of short stories. In this book we focus more on the world inside the silo. We get to know some of the characters that we briefly met in the first book and we learn quite a bit more about what life is like inside the silo.



Very much looking forward to #3.



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Wool (Wool #1) by Hugh Howey

Wool by Hugh Howey

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


They live beneath the earth in a prison of their own making. There is a view of the outside world, a spoiled and rotten world, their forefathers left behind. But this view fades over time, ruined by the toxic airs that kill any who brave them.
So they leave it to the criminals, those who break the rules, and who are sent to cleaning. Why do they do it, these people condemned to death? Sheriff Holston has always wondered. Now he is about to find out.
~~~



Wonderful quick read. Now I see why they gave it away free. I am heading to Amazon now to buy the next short story in this series.



Imagine living in a silo where your only contact with the outside world is through viewing windows that show a brown world where nothing lives and the only thing that moves are the black clouds drifting across the dead world. Where the once great cities lay in ruins on the horizon.

Generations live out their lives in the silo, drawing a lottery to attempt to have children in the very limited space.



The ultimate sin is to wonder about what is outside the silo. Wanting to go outside is a sin so great that it meets banishment. But as long as you are going outside you might as well clean the lens that give a view of the outside world while your out there, right?



Very interesting concept and wonderful story. I am very interested to see what the author does next.



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