Requested Review: The Apocalypse Gene by Suki Michelle and Carlyle Clark

Synopsis: Global pandemic is raging.
Olivya Wright-Ono's once loving home has been converted to a hospice for the dying. Her ability to see auras forces her to witness, with agonizing detail, the vibrant colors of life consumed by malignancy.
The beautiful and troubled, Mikah, is an elite Empath in the ancient Kindred clan, led by the brooding, ever-morphing, monster named Prime. Mikah has learned a terrible truth . . . the plague is linked to Kindred origins. When Olivya sees evidence of disease creeping into her mother's aura, she has no one to turn to but Mikah. Can he unearth the Kindred secrets and find a cure?
Can she trust this boy whose power allows him to manipulate her very emotions? With her mother's life, and that of the world, in the balance, Olivya and Mikah embark on a quest to stop the Pandemic, only to discover it is far, far more than a mere disease . . .
 
Review
Plot: I haven't read a lot of dystopia/post-apocalyptic, but this book has changed my sights on the genre. The book follows Olivya and Mikah who both have special abilities during a time of a great pandemic. As they try and find a cure after Olivya sees her mother is sick, they have to fight new creatures and handle their abilities to find the cure they've been looking for. There is action around every corner and is descriptive enough to let the reader imagine what the fight would look like. The imagery in the book is so vivid I could see when Olivya was walking through the streets or when she first sees Mikah. It is a story that consists of a lot of technology and characters that are different creatures. There are very unique names and descriptions for each one that you will get confused. However, as the story progresses, you will be able to know whose who and what's what. The plot is very complex and suspenseful that I couldn't stop reading once I started. Olivya and Mikah bring a certain zest to the book that adds to the unfolding of the plot.
 
Characters: Olivya - Olivya is a African-American and Japanese girl, which I was glad to see. It is rare to find minority main characters and Michelle and Clark did such a good job on it. They gave her enough dignity to make her embrace her uniqueness but also not let it rule the plot line. I loved her courageousness and bravery that she had from the beginning. She doesn't let anyone tell her what to do and she protects those she cares for.
Mikah - Mikah is different from many other love interests I've read. He's coped up and barely has many people to talk to and even then they're not the best people to confide in. He knows only the life he was born into and even though he's different from the rest, he still doesn't know if he is good or bad. This comes as a constant reminder of him whenever he sees Olivya. He's choosing between what life he wants to live and what's best for them.
 
Cover: The cover does not do the book the justice it deserves. I love the integration of the lightning and DNA strand to serve the purpose of what the pandemic is.
 
Overall Rating: I'm giving this book a three out of four. It is a fantastic dystopia book and gives a look at what a pandemic can create and what the healthy would have to do for the sick. It also does a nice job of creating a new world for us and new creatures to think about. There are many characters in the book, but it is only a small flaw in a wonderful plot.

Peace and Fangs,
Alisha

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

Synopsis: 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.
 
Review
Plot: I've heard so much about this book and with the movie fast approaching, I decided I would give this a try. At first, when I started to read it, I didn't understand hype or anything. I was intrigued by what became of North America and how even though it is in the future, it doesn't seem like it by District Twelve. However, you start to understand why they don't have much cable or even water sometimes. The government controls everything and that is where the Games come into play, to make sure everyone stays in line. Once Katniss came forward in place of her sister, the ball started to roll...including with Peeta. It wasn't until we met Cinna where I started to get emotionally involved with the book. He observes Katniss and expresses her personality through her wardrobe and the outfits she describes sound so extravagant and glamorous that I can not wait to see what they look like in the film. As the Games start, I was clenching my teeth and hoping for the best for Katniss. While reading it, you are completely engrossed in the Games and start choosing the characters you like and which ones you could do without. And, Collins, is not shy not tell the details of someones death or the wounds on opponents. I could see myself cheering when Katniss avoided death or finally found water! The plot is centered around the Games, but you can see that there is more to come after the Games, including Katniss' rebellious moments.
 
Characters: Katniss - I was very wary of her when I started to read the book. She was a very closed off character and didn't acknowledge her emotions, which I had seen before. But, it was so hard for me not to love her. She had a hard life and was the bread winner of the family. Plus, she went in the place of her sister, so that gave a million check marks by her name for me.
Peeta - Peeta is very funny and a relief compared to the constant high stakes emotions Katniss has. However, I can not see him as a good fit for Katniss. He says the cutest things sometimes, but when it came to the action and helping Katniss, he fell flat. It was hard to see him just stand by while Katniss kicked butt and helped them survive. I'm all for girl power, but Peeta seemed to just keep getting hurt.
 
Cover: I love the Mockingjay pin. The description of them seemed to fit Katniss and her journey. But, I liked it mostly because it signified her district and that she was representing a group of people who are looked upon as weak.
 
Overall Rating: I am giving this book a three out of four. The plot is definitely enticing and I am even more excited for this series, but it had a slow start. It seemed to take forever for just Katniss to get to the Capitol. The book, however, is an amazing read and this is a great book to read if you're into dystopia and action. Plus, it has the romance that us love addicts want.

Peace and Fangs,
Alisha

Wither

"By age sixteen, Rhine Ellery has four years left to live. She can thank modern science for this genetic time bomb. A botched effort to create a perfect race has left all males with a lifespan of 25 years, and females with a lifespan of 20 years. Geneticists are seeking a miracle antidote to restore the human race, desperate orphans crowd the population, crime and poverty have skyrocketed, and young girls are being kidnapped and sold as polygamous brides to bear more children.

When Rhine is kidnapped and sold as a bride, she vows to do all she can do to escape. Her husband, Linden, is hopelessly in love with her, and Rhine can't bring herself to hate him as much as she'd like to. He opens her to a magical world of wealth and illusion she never thought existed, and it almost makes it possible to ignore the clock ticking away her short life. But Rhine quickly learns that not everything in her new husband's strange world is what it seems. Her father-in-law, an eccentric doctor bent on finding the antidote, is hoarding corpses in the basement. Her fellow sister wives are to be trusted one day and feared the next, and Rhine is desperate to communicate to her twin brother that she is safe and alive. Will Rhine be able to escape--before her time runs out?"

I found this book at Target and was extremely happy seeing as for the longest time, I had already read all the books there. So when I got this on Easter, I read it within the first two days and was not disappointed.

Plot: The plot was much different than I was used to. It was sort of like the Uglies series by Scott Westerfield, but with a total twist. One minute she's being drugged in a car, the next she's laying in a beautiful mansion. I liked having a break from the paranormal theme, and this was perfect.

Main Characters: Rhine is independent and will not spend the rest of her short life trapped in a prison that has the illusion of a castle. She does not care about the risks, and will do anything to leave. I love her fiery spirit. Her sister wives are actually some of my favorites though. Jenna would probably be my favorite.

Cover: I actually really like the cover. I LOVE her dress, and the whole theme of it all.

Overall Rating: There is no doubt that this is a 4/4. It was beautifully written, and I loved the twists and turns. You never know what she is going to do, or what is going to happen, next! The next book, Fever, comes out February 2012, and I hope I can make it till then! Check out the new cover July 2011.
Sweet Daydreams,
Brooke

Matched

"Cassia has always trusted the Society to make the right choices for her: what to read, what to watch, what to believe. So when Xander's face appears on-screen at her Matching ceremony, Cassia knows with complete certainty that he is her ideal mate . . . until she sees Ky Markham's face flash for an instant before the screen fades to black. The Society tells her it's a glitch, a rare malfunction, and that she could focus on the happy life she's destined to lead with Xander. But Cassia can't stop thinking about Ky, and as they slowly fall in love, Cassia begins to doubt the Society's infallibility and is faced with an impossible choice: between Xander and Ky, between the only life she has ever known and a path no one else has dared to follow."
The story Matched captivated me instantly. I would find myself picking it up before I was finished with my other books just so I could find out what happened. I loved it! Cassia, is a strong, level-headed girl. She is a great role-model for everyone. She knows what she wants, but knows when to give in, at least a little. Xander, Cassia's best friend, is super smart, competitive, and cares about Cassia. Ky, an outsider, is mysterious and completely true to himself. I love him, and it's kind of funny, seeing as know someone with his exact name.
I picked it up before I should have and didn't care. I read through the whole thing in about a day and cannot wait for the next. Unfortunately, the next book, Crossed, doesn't come out until Nov. 1st. If you read this book, which I highly recommend, you will be dying to read the next one. Dying. I can't say I like the ending, but as long as there are many more books, I will be happy. I give this book a 4/4 without any debate. If I could, I would give it a five. Best book ever!
Sweet Daydreams,
Brooke