Showing posts with label Alexandra Bracken. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Alexandra Bracken. Show all posts

Friday, October 18, 2013

Never Fade by Alexandra Bracken [ARC REVIEW]

TITLE: Never Fade
(The Darkest Minds #2)

AUTHOR: Alexandra Bracken
PUBLISHER: Disney-Hyperion
PUB DATE: Oct 15 2013
Summary from Goodreads:

"Ruby never asked for the abilities that almost cost her her life. Now she must call upon them on a daily basis, leading dangerous missions to bring down a corrupt government and breaking into the minds of her enemies. Other kids in the Children’s League call Ruby “Leader”, but she knows what she really is: a monster.

When Ruby is entrusted with an explosive secret, she must embark on her most dangerous mission yet: leaving the Children’s League behind. Crucial information about the disease that killed most of America’s children—and turned Ruby and the others who lived into feared and hated outcasts—has survived every attempt to destroy it. But the truth is only saved in one place: a flashdrive in the hands of Liam Stewart, the boy Ruby once believed was her future—and who now wouldn’t recognize her.

As Ruby sets out across a desperate, lawless country to find Liam—and answers about the catastrophe that has ripped both her life and America apart—she is torn between old friends and the promise she made to serve the League. Ruby will do anything to protect the people she loves. But what if winning the war means losing herself?"

Rating:

Be wary, this would contain spoilers from the events that occurred in the first book, The Darkest Minds.

“I love you... I love you every second of every day, and I don’t understand why, or how to make it stop–”

In the events that follow The Darkest Minds, readers find Ruby in Never Fade as a member of the Children’s League, one of the groups she has been desperately trying to run away from after escaping the camp. Narrowly dodging being captured and brought back to the camps after finding the Slip Kid, Clancy, then getting separated from her friends, and having to deal with Liam so the League would leave him at peace, Ruby is just trying to keep it together... long enough for her to get the chance to escape and to hopefully find her friends. But having one of the most powerful abilities among the gifted kids, she is assigned “Leader” to her specific group, and one mission puts a halt to her plans and changes everything...

I was stunned to find Ruby in such a different state of character from how I met her. The once scared and despondent girl from The Darkest Minds has turned into one badass chic. Although she still has that fear over being corrupted by her powers, she is a lot more confident than before. I like the change. It goes to show how much she had to grow up to survive at such desperate times.

I may love the grace of independence I witnessed grow into her character, but I was still longing to see Ruby reunited with Liam. The result of the reunion? So. Many. FEELS!!! It was messy, confusing and gushy, and although heartbreaking, was also swoon-worthy all at the same time!

Saturday, June 8, 2013

Book Haul [28]



My "Weekly Book Haul" is pretty much just like In My Mailbox by the Story Siren, This Week In Books by Pop Culture Junkie, and Stacking the Shelves by Tynga's Reviews and all the other titles with the similar concept here and there. This is a weekly post showcasing the books you received for the given week, either bought online or from a physical bookstore, borrowed from the library or from a friend, received for review or won from a giveaway, etc.

Hello lovelies! How are you? I'll have to make this post quick since my fiance and I are tackling on some pre-wedding arrangements and stuff. Whatever. (I'm trying to play it cool and not seem so overly excited here. LOL). So here's what I got this week:

TITLES:
SWEET PERIL by Wendy Higgins
SHADOW AND BONE by Leigh Bardugo (Read and Reviewed)
THE HUMAN by Keary Taylor (ARC from Author)

PROPHECY by Ellen Oh
CITY OF A THOUSAND DOLLS by Miriam Forster (read)
NEVER FADE by Alexandra Bracken (from NetGalley)

Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Favorite Covers of Books I've Read

Top Ten Favorite Covers of Books I've Read
Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. Each week they post a new Top Ten list  that bloggers are welcome to join in and answer. 

Hello! How have you all been?

Today's top ten topic is favorite covers. So here's my list:



GRACELING by Kristin Cashore
DARKEST MERCY by Melissa Marr
EONA by Alison Goodman
SHADOW AND BONE by Leigh Bardugo
THRONE OF GLASS by Sarah J. Maas
STORMDANCER by Jay Kristoff

Friday, May 17, 2013

The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken [REVIEW]

TITLE: The Darkest Minds
            (The Darkest Minds #1)

AUTHOR: Alexandra Bracken
PUBLISHER: Disney Hyperion
PUB DATE: Dec 18 2012
Summary from Goodreads:

"When Ruby woke up on her tenth birthday, something about her had changed. Something alarming enough to make her parents lock her in the garage and call the police. Something that gets her sent to Thurmond, a brutal government “rehabilitation camp.” She might have survived the mysterious disease that’s killed most of America’s children, but she and the others have emerged with something far worse: frightening abilities they cannot control.

Now sixteen, Ruby is one of the dangerous ones.

When the truth comes out, Ruby barely escapes Thurmond with her life. Now she’s on the run, desperate to find the one safe haven left for kids like her—East River. She joins a group of kids who escaped their own camp. Liam, their brave leader, is falling hard for Ruby. But no matter how much she aches for him, Ruby can’t risk getting close. Not after what happened to her parents.

When they arrive at East River, nothing is as it seems, least of all its mysterious leader. But there are other forces at work, people who will stop at nothing to use Ruby in their fight against the government. Ruby will be faced with a terrible choice, one that may mean giving up her only chance at a life worth living."


Rating:

I’ve read Bracken’s first book, Brightly Woven, and I just adored the story. It’s been a while since I read her first book so I was ecstatic to find The Darkest Minds. Even better is finding that this was going to be a series. Hooray! I just knew from the synopsis that I was going to enjoy reading The Darkest Minds.

“The government was never scared of the kids who might die, or the empty spaces they would leave behind... they were afraid of us – the ones who lived”

What a line! It actually gave me goose bumps when I stumbled upon it. If that doesn’t get you intrigued, I don’t know what will.

I was already impressed by Bracken’s world building skills and writing style from her debut novel, and she did not fail to impress me the second time with The Darkest Minds. While Brightly Woven was a simple sweet fantasy story, this book was dark and downright crazy. A world where our heroes befall misfortunes, being hunted by every possible villain, and find that there are no good guys to side with – that has got to be tough!

Monday, April 15, 2013

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? [2]

It's Monday! What are you reading? Is a meme by Sheila @ Book Journey. And I quote her: "This is a great way to plan out your reading week and see what others are currently reading as well… you never know where that next “must read” book will come from!"


Hi! How have you all been? Wow, it has been such a busy week for me that I have a lot of pending reviews to write. I also wasn't able to post my Book Haul over the weekend so I'll probably do that this coming Saturday. Another thing, I haven't had time to go through my emails yet so if you've sent me something and I haven't responded, I am so sorry about that. I'll get to them as soon as I can. The good thing about this week though is that I was able to get a lot of reading time, or maybe I'm just in one of my moods that enabled me to finish a number of books recently. Either way - yehey! 

RECENT READ

              

TITLES:
THE PIRATE'S WISH by Cassandra Rose Clarke
WINGS by Aprilynne Pike
THE RULES by Stacey Kade
THINGS I CAN'T FORGET by Miranda Kenneally

Aside from those lovely books, I've also managed to finally finish the Splintered by A.G. Howard and Dualed by Elsie Chapman that I have long since passed my expected date of finishing them. Thank goodness! 

CURRENT READ

      

TITLES:
SIEGE AND STORM by Leigh Bardugo
THE DARKEST MINDS by Alexandra Bracken

Sunday, February 24, 2013

Book Haul [22]



My "Weekly Book Haul" is pretty much just like In My Mailbox by the Story Siren, This Week In Books by Pop Culture Junkie, and Stacking the Shelves by Tynga's Reviews and all the other titles with the similar concept here and there. This is a weekly post showcasing the books you received for the given week, either bought online or from a physical bookstore, borrowed from the library or from a friend, received for review or won from a giveaway, etc.


Hello, lovelies! How are you? Did you have a good week? I hope you did. I had a really busy week so I haven't blogged in quite a while, five days is kinda long for me. Hahaha!

Anyway, I have two weeks worth of books to show you today. So here they are:

TITLES:
THE DARKEST MINDS by Alexandra Bracken

SEVER by Lauren DeStefano
BOUNDLESS by Cynthia Hand (read & reviewed)
SHADOWS IN THE SILENCE by Courtney Allison Moulton
PRODIGY by Marie Lu (currently reading)
THE FAIREST BEAUTY by Melanie Dickerson
Apparently it is hardbound season because I only got one paperback book from the Book Depository. I bought everything else from my favorite bookstore, Fully Booked at Bonifacio High Street. Really, that place is awesome.

Wednesday, August 3, 2011

Brightly Woven by Alexandra Bracken

   
         
Brightly Woven
by Alexandra Bracken
Summary from Goodreads:

"Sydelle Mirabil is living proof that, with a single drop of rain, a life can be changed forever. Tucked away in the farthest reaches of the kingdom, her dusty village has suffered under the weight of a strangely persistent drought. That is, of course, until a wizard wanders into town and brings the rain with him. 

In return for this gift, Wayland North is offered any reward he desires—and no one is more surprised than Sydelle when, without any explanation, he chooses her. Taken from her home, Sydelle hardly needs encouragement to find reasons to dislike North. He drinks too much and bathes too little, and if that isn’t enough to drive her to madness, North rarely even uses the magic he takes such pride in possessing. Yet, it’s not long before she realizes there’s something strange about the wizard, who is as fiercely protective of her as he is secretive about a curse that turns his limbs a sinister shade of black and leaves him breathless with agony. Unfortunately, there is never a chance for her to seek answers.
 

Along with the strangely powerful quakes and storms that trace their path across the kingdom, other wizards begin to take an inexplicable interest in her as well, resulting in a series of deadly duels. Against a backdrop of war and uncertainty, Sydelle is faced with the growing awareness that these events aren’t as random as she had believed—that no curse, not even that of Wayland North, is quite as terrible as the one she herself may carry."

Rating:



A really exciting book! Filled with magic and adventure.

What I absolutely loved about this was the romance between North and Sydelle. North may’ve been an arse at first, and I was annoyed with him, but as the story progressed, I began to understand him as Sydelle has. I felt the same pull of annoyance with Sydelle as well she was just too stubborn. But putting them together was a witty amusement. They actually make a good team. They feel like completely normal couples; fighting like crazy then suddenly gawking sweetly at each other. They were amusing and I came to love them as I read through.

The story as well was very nice, with fun-filled action and exploits. It is slow moving though, but each chapter would help you get to know Sydelle and North more and more, so it’s not so bad. The mysteries are a bit aggravating to be revealed but it wouldn’t be a disappointment. It has a lovely ending that somehow makes you scream for more.