Khoury, Jessica: Origin

Expected publication: September 4, 2012
Razorbill (Penguin)
YA Sci-Fi/Dystopian, 372 pages
Acquired and read: From the lovely folks manning the Penguin booth at BEA (NEVER going to get tired of telling people I actually went there); I read it within two days

Pia has grown up in a secret laboratory hidden deep in the Amazon rain forest. She was raised by a team of scientists who have created her to be the start of a new immortal race. But on the night of her seventeenth birthday, Pia discovers a hole in the electric fence that surrounds her sterile home—and sneaks outside the compound for the first time in her life.

Free in the jungle, Pia meets Eio, a boy from a nearby village. Together, they embark on a race against time to discover the truth about Pia’s origin—a truth with deadly consequences that will change their lives forever.

Origin is a beautifully told, shocking new way to look at an age-old desire: to live forever, no matter the cost. This is a supremely compelling debut novel that blends the awakening romance of Matched with the mystery and jungle conspiracy of Lost.

Disclaimer: This is a pre-release ARC received from the publisher. As such, please check any quotes or information against the finished copy of the book.  

When I think back about my Origin reading experience, four words come to mind.

Lush.

Powerful.

Overwhelming.

Green.

I hope that's enough to tell you from the get-go that this is one debut you can't pass up.


All Pia has ever known is the bountiful rainforest that engulfs her and the science compound she's been raised within; along with her mother and father and the other scientists that she chooses to label as her uncles and aunts. She has a pet jaguar, a magical birthday party to look forward to, and a goal to reach: shedding her weak shell of unnecessary human compassion to reach her full potential as an immortal beacon for a new race of mankind, and be allowed to learn the secret behind her own creation.

However - like any of the other YA heroines you've probably rubbed elbows with, before - that fairy-tale life is quickly melting away to show some hard iron bars. She isn't allowed to go out past the fence and explore the warm, beckoning rainforest. She's forced to experiment on animals (and not with some measly Maybelline cosmetics, either), and she has no idea where on Earth she actually is.

No, seriously. She isn't just being metaphorical. Her mom won't allow her a map.

All that changes in a sudden window of potential. A new scientist crashes the party, unleashing some old secrets Pia hasn't been privy to, and becoming her telescope outward to a world of discovery. And then there's that hole in the fence that she shimmies through in true Cinderella fashion (and on the night of her big birthday gala, no less!).

And the boy.

Yes, I'm sure your attention got caught on the last part, didn't it? *snorts* YA readers and their boys. I'm sure it'll thrill you even more to know that he's a native. Yes, a real hunting, anaconda-wrestling (and eating) man of the jungle.

Jacob Black, I don't think there's enough room in the woods for the two of ya.

And I think you know who's going to go.


Anyway...the book. I have to say that, in general, I enjoyed this WAY more than I thought I would. I mean, it's a dystopian. Or at least, I think it is - and if it is, you probably know that dystopians and I have a pretty rough love-hate relationship.

Origin nearly passed under my BEA radar, until I happened to be standing at the booth and the really awesome publishing representative guy was like, "Here, take this one, too", and I just took it and went.

Bless you, Awesome Penguin Guy. Bless you.


It was totally worth the whole cramming it under the table at the wedding reception and holding a napkin over it so I didn't splatter curry on it and avoiding grimy little kids wanting to take a look scenario in the end. I closed my eyes after I turned the last page and I saw green.

No lie. I think the cover got burned onto the back of my eyelids from too much staring.

As you can probably see, the rainforest was my favorite part. It's interesting that my recent sci-fi loves swing from a dying spacecraft (Across the Universe by Beth Revis) to one of Earth's last little patches of heaven. This is why I keep reading, even through all the disappointments and near-misses and "Gah, the hype! I can't look!" moments. It all pays off for those times when I turn the page and I practically fall into a new world, one that I've never visited (and might never find the time to, if it really exists) to the point that I can feel the loam under my nails and smell the dampness of an approaching rainstorm.

I'm really curious as to whether or not Jessica Khoury actually made it to the rainforest for research. Because if not, she is really dang good at this writing thing.

Okay...now for the cons. I will have to warn you that (and I've noticed a few other pre-readers mentioned this as well) it's a little annoying how Pia's rebellion gene suddenly kicks in after years of being trapped within the compound. There were also a few moments where I was like, "PIA, GET A GRIP AND GET A MOVE ON," but I think you'd have those screaming matches with any of the other YA heroines currently on the market, so I'm not sure if you'd count that as a viable con.

Also, Eio's background...well, this might count as a spoiler. But it was a little predicable for me. That's all I'm going to say.

In any case, I'm pleasantly surprised - and eagerly awaiting more - when it comes to Jessica Khoury. Kudos on a job well done (and thank you, thank you, THANK YOU for making it a stand-alone so I don't have to agonize over a sequel).


Reader, I read it. And you should too. Embrace the green!

Warnings: Ladies and gentlemen, this is one of the few books this year where I can say there is no swearing. Thank God. There is a little bit of innuendo, though, and some disturbing sequences involving animals and laboratories (but I think the load of movies about mad scientists involving squeaking mice in their cages, large syringes and the ominous crack of fresh plastic gloves should have you prepared for this).

Chapman, Elsie: Dualed (Dualed, #1)

Expected publication: February 26, 2013 (yes, totally jumping the gun on this one!)
Random House
YA Dystopian, 304 pages
Acquired and read: Through NetGalley in return for a fair and unbiased review; I read it within two nights.  

You or your Alt? Only one will survive. 

Dualed is a thrilling high-concept YA where citizens must prove their worth by killing their Alts--twins raised by other families. 

The city of Kersh is a safe haven, but the price of safety is high. West Grayer has trained as a fighter, preparing for the day when her assignment arrives and she will have one month to hunt down and kill her Alt. Survival means advanced schooling, a good job, marriage--life. But then a tragic misstep shakes West's confidence. Stricken with grief and guilt, she's no longer certain that she's the best version of herself, the version worthy of a future. If she is to have any chance of winning, she must stop running not only from her Alt, but also from love . . . though both have the power to destroy her. 

Elsie Chapman's suspenseful debut weaves unexpected romance into a novel full of fast-paced action and thought-provoking philosophy. When the story ends, discussions will begin about this future society where every adult is a murderer and every child knows there is another out there who just might be better.

Disclaimer: This is a pre-release ARC received from the publisher. As such, please check any quotes or information against the finished copy of the book.

You know, I think there are one or two sites on the Web where you're allowed to creep - and no, Facebook isn't one of them. (Believe me - I was totally freaked when one of my friend's younger sisters confessed that she's seen her sister look me up no less than five times to "see what I'm up to". Laugh at me all you want, but it's different when you're not the stalker. Trust me.)

NetGalley and GoodReads on the other hand...Go ahead. Knock yourself out. You can never have enough reading material. And books totally don't mind it when you check out their biodata before starting a conversation.

So anyway, I was stalking...*cough*...browsing NetGalley the other day, when I happened upon Dualed. I scrolled down, and back up. I checked the link to make sure it wasn't for some obscure country (read: any country that Kaye doesn't have access to galleys from). And then I clicked Request and prayed that someone, somewhere in Random House, would take pity on a little blogger girl from a small town and let me have this galley the first time around, please and thank you, Amen.

And what do you know? It worked.

As stated up there (in all that gobbledygook I'm pretty sure you just scroll by - after all, my reviews are the best part right?) it took me two nights to finish Dualed. Two nights of nail-biting and cringing and one moment where I calmly shut off my Kindle, closed my eyes and hoped that the author wouldn't be cruel enough to leave it right there.

Confession: She isn't cruel at all. She's really sweet. (That does count as unbiased still, right?

Anyway, after those two nights of nail-biting and cringing and eye-closing, I finished it. And I immediately went on Twitter to tease...er...compliment the author on her great achievement.

This is pretty much how it went...

Kaye: I finished Dualed last night. Wow...just wow.

Elsie: Really? How did you like it?

Kaye: *hums innocently*

Elsie: Gah. Tell me.

Kaye: You can take comfort in the fact that I don't tweet authors about their books if I totally hated them. I'm not that cruel.

(See how I answer the question, and don't answer it at the same time? Smooth, Kaye. Very smooth.)

Elsie: GAH.

So yes, maybe it wasn't complimenting so much as teasing. But here's the part where I tell you exactly what I told her: this is some good dystopian, right here.

West is one of those heroines that you can feel in your blood. Every single moment, from when she entered the secret world of assassins, or strikers, to receiving her assignment and seeing her own other self for the first time - you can see it.

And it really, really will freak you out.

I mean, this is a world where the government creates another you just so you can fight it out and possibly lose your life, all for the sake of a better society.

Um, what kind of logic is that?

I know that some people will totally jump down my throat for this - mainly because so many comparisons are being drawn to the Hunger Games recently - but West really reminds me of Katniss. Minus the annoying "Peeta or Gale? Bread boy or wild hunter?" debate. And the long braid. And the whole being the Girl on Fire imagery. They are both caught in this dog-eat-dog world, having to kill or be killed, and both authors have the skill to yank you into the book by the arm and drag you along for the ride. There's fast-paced drama, sniper missions and assassin assignments (I mean, what's a future world without some dude finding a loophole to override the system?).

Of course, it's not all fun and games. West can be a little - how to phrase this politely? - annoying. Picture her as the cousin you have to babysit who plays with matches, opens the door for a stranger, and doesn't know how to turn off the oven. There were a few times I wanted to grab her by the shoulders and scream, "WEST! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?"

Also, despite being spared of the typical Dystopian Formula (see my review of Masque of the Red Death for further details), it's obvious that she and Chord are going to end up together, regardless of the arguments and the stomping out the door and the near-death escapades. If you're the type of person who wants the heroine to spend 50% of the storyline playing Eenie-Meanie-Mini-Mo between two buff, mysterious, snarky-mouthed heroes, this is not the dystopian for you.

(Thank God.)

So, since my spoiler filter is being strained to the max, and my inner goody-two-shoes blogger is screaming, "THIS IS A 2013 RELEASE, WHAT ARE YOU DOING, GIRL?!", it's time for a review:

1. 2013 = releases of win.

2. Elsie Chapman = debut author of win.

3. Dualed = read whenever you can get your hands on it.

Which, seeing as NetGalley and Edelweiss have pulled it for the time being, won't be soon enough for your liking, I'm afraid.

And here I've gone and wound you up. What a cruel blogger I can be. But then again, I think Elsie can attest to that now.

Teaser Tuesday: Pure by Julianna Baggott

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

  

Grab your current read. 

Open to a random page. 

Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page. 

BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!) 

Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

...All the people in the room look older than she is. Is this the underground? Is the boy with the birds in his back the head of it? And what do they see when they look at her? She tucks her head to her chest...and she pulls her sweater sleeve down over the doll head...She doesn't know who these people are. This is a mistake. She knows it now, clearly.

About Pure by Julianna Baggott: 

We know you are here, our brothers and sisters . . . 

Pressia barely remembers the Detonations or much about life during the Before. In her sleeping cabinet behind the rubble of an old barbershop where she lives with her grandfather, she thinks about what is lost-how the world went from amusement parks, movie theaters, birthday parties, fathers and mothers . . . to ash and dust, scars, permanent burns, and fused, damaged bodies. And now, at an age when everyone is required to turn themselves over to the militia to either be trained as a soldier or, if they are too damaged and weak, to be used as live targets, Pressia can no longer pretend to be small. Pressia is on the run.

Burn a Pure and Breathe the Ash . . .

There are those who escaped the apocalypse unmarked. Pures. They are tucked safely inside the Dome that protects their healthy, superior bodies. Yet Partridge, whose father is one of the most influential men in the Dome, feels isolated and lonely. Different. He thinks about loss-maybe just because his family is broken; his father is emotionally distant; his brother killed himself; and his mother never made it inside their shelter. Or maybe it's his claustrophobia: his feeling that this Dome has become a swaddling of intensely rigid order. So when a slipped phrase suggests his mother might still be alive, Partridge risks his life to leave the Dome to find her.

When Pressia meets Partridge, their worlds shatter all over again.

Lu, Marie: Legend (Legend, #1)

November 29, 2011
Putnam Juvenile
YA Dystopian, 305 pages
Acquired and read: My local library; read within a day (it was THAT good)

What was once the western United States is now home to the Republic, a nation perpetually at war with its neighbors. Born into an elite family in one of the Republic's wealthiest districts, fifteen-year-old June is a prodigy being groomed for success in the Republic's highest military circles. Born into the slums, fifteen-year-old Day is the country's most wanted criminal. But his motives may not be as malicious as they seem.

From very different worlds, June and Day have no reason to cross paths - until the day June's brother, Metias, is murdered and Day becomes the prime suspect. Caught in the ultimate game of cat and mouse, Day is in a race for his family's survival, while June seeks to avenge Metias's death. But in a shocking turn of events, the two uncover the truth of what has really brought them together, and the sinister lengths their country will go to keep its secrets.

Full of nonstop action, suspense, and romance, this novel is sure to move readers as much as it thrills.

This is the dystopian I've been waiting for all of 2011.

Though not completely a retelling of Les Miserables, Marie Lu's talented debut still takes the important threads of the plot line and weaves them together into an entire new setting. I was a little thrown off balance at first because somehow I figured that Day was the girl (blame the long hair), but after that little confusion was sorted out, it was one smooth ride.

I loved the way that Lu made both characters loveable and sympathizable in their own way. Usually, I end up liking the boy and hating the girl for totally not deserving him, or vice versa. In Legend, I do admit that I was biased towards Day because it felt like he had so much more at stake than June, but she still had a soft spot in my heart for her circumstances. Confession: It hurt when Metias died. It really did.

(But definitely not about her Trial-SAT-whatzit scores. Way to make all us non-evolved teenagers feel dumb.)

Also, in my opinion, Day > Katniss when it comes to be a revolutionary starter. I mean, I probably mentioned this before, but in the Hunger Games, it seemed like people chose Katniss as their symbol merely because of a flaming dress gimmick. With Day, it made much more sense - a Robin Hood tripping up the rich set with every step they take? Of course the citizens would take him as their figure of hope.

(No offense to any Katniss fans. I say it how I see it.)

The main thing that irritated me - as it does in most every YA I read nowadays - is how quickly a cute face and "glittering eyes" can make a girl/guy fall in love. Day and June knew nothing about each other, and Day still acted like a sop over her even after she betrayed him. I do have to admit, though, that I liked the way that the author kept June on her guard until she learned more about Day for herself. Rational researching heroines for the win. Another thing was the miraculous case of their both being prodigies, which I hope will be explained more in the next book: if Day was a prodigy, too, why was he shipped off?

Also, did anyone else notice some subtle foreshadowing on page 182 - the confrontation between Thomas and June? Cool hinting, that.

Warnings: Character deaths - all of which made my heart stop for a few minutes. :( Other than that, no other red lights.

Final verdict: Read it. You won't regret it.

Mafi, Tahereh: Shatter Me (Shatter Me, #1)

November 15, 2011
HarperCollins
YA Dystopian, 338 pages
Acquired and read: Through Around the World ARC Tours in exchange for a fair and unbiased review; read in a day

Juliette hasn't touched anyone in exactly 264 days.

The last time she did, it was an accident, but The Reestablishment locked her up for murder. No one knows why Juliette's touch is fatal. As long as she doesn't hurt anyone else, no one really cares. The world is too busy crumbling to pieces to pay attention to a 17-year-old girl. Diseases are destroying the population, food is hard to find, birds don't fly anymore, and the clouds are the wrong color.

The Reestablishment said their way was the only way to fix things, so they threw Juliette in a cell. Now so many people are dead that the survivors are whispering war-- and The Reestablishment has changed its mind. Maybe Juliette is more than a tortured soul stuffed into a poisonous body. Maybe she's exactly what they need right now.

Juliette has to make a choice: Be a weapon. Or be a warrior.

In this electrifying debut, Tahereh Mafi presents a world as riveting as The Hunger Games and a superhero story as thrilling as The X-Men. Full of pulse-pounding romance, intoxicating villainy, and high-stakes choices, Shatter Me is a fresh and original dystopian novel—with a paranormal twist—that will leave readers anxiously awaiting its sequel.

Though Shatter Me is touted as a combination between The Hunger Games and X-Men, I think it's fair to warn you that the superhero factor of the story doesn't really get going until the last hundred or so pages. I do have to agree that the dystopian factors of the story will appeal to Hunger Games fans, minus the love triangle (no opposing Gale, guys - sorry). The main bad guy, Warner, in particular reminds me of President Snow, minus that creepy detail of the blood-tainted breath.

Oh, and Warner's like nineteen. That was another detail that really threw me off. From the way Juliette describes him at first, I was picturing him as a sleazy old man. (Just goes to show you that I need to read a little deeper into my context clues...)

On the whole, I can see why Shatter Me appeals to trendy teen readers. The writing style and plot speed reminded me more than once of Twilight, and the heroine has an appropriate troubled past and unsure future. The world is appropriately dark and hopeless - food is scarce, people are dying and the new government that has promised a solution to it all is more interested in cruel dictatorship than a hopeful future.

However, for some reason, I really couldn't attach myself to this one. It might be the hype; recently, I find that if there's too much media storm around a title, I end up pinning too high hopes on it, and get disappointed when I find that it's not really what I expected. More importantly, there's a lot of strong language (one of my major pet peeves, as you probably know by now) and a few moments of what Hollywood would probably deem "brief sensuality".

Definitely not a PG read in my opinion.

Besides the language, my other main bone of contention was with the copious use of idioms and similes and metaphors that were rather distracting and in some places, quite disturbing. (My personal favorite: "my heart was a water balloon shattering in my chest" - my own heart gave a little uncomfortable lurch at that one. It sounds less like a moment of extreme tension and more like a medical emergency.)

The general conclusion? Not really my cup of tea, but that doesn't mean it won't be someone else's. Maybe I've had too much dystopians for this year...but then again, we're about to go head-on with 2012 and the Apocalypse in a couple of weeks, so we could also take it as a year well spent in preparation.

Warnings: As mentioned before, brief sensuality and strong language.

Final verdict: Not my type of dystopian, but I'm not going to knock it for anyone else.