Free To Fall by Lauren Miller

Series: Standalone

Genera(s): Near-Future Dystopian Sci-fi Thriller

Subjects: technology, conspiracies, boarding schools, secret societies, mystery, brainwashing

Setting: Seattle, Washington, and then Theden, a boarding school in Massachusetts

POV/Tense: 1^st person POV, paste tense: Rory Vaughn

Age/Grade Level: Teen

Length: 469 pgs.

HC/PB: Hardcover 

List Price: $17.99

Publisher: HarperTeen

Summary/ product description: “What if there was an app that told you what song to listen to, what coffee to order, who to date, even what to do with your life—an app that could ensure your complete and utter happiness? What if you never had to fail or make a wrong choice?

What if you never had to fall?

Fast-forward to a time when Apple and Google have been replaced by Gnosis, a monolith corporation that has developed the most life-changing technology to ever hit the market: Lux, an app that flawlessly optimizes decision making for the best personal results. Just like everyone else, sixteen-year-old Rory Vaughn knows the key to a happy, healthy life is following what Lux recommends. When she’s accepted to the elite boarding school Theden Academy, her future happiness seems all the more assured. But once on campus, something feels wrong beneath the polished surface of her prestigious dream school. Then she meets North, a handsome townie who doesn’t use Lux, and begins to fall for him and his outsider way of life. Soon, Rory is going against Lux’s recommendations, listening instead to the inner voice that everyone has been taught to ignore — a choice that leads her to uncover a truth neither she nor the world ever saw coming.”

My Review:  I have not read a book with such a unique, solid, thought-provoking concept as the one behind Free To Fall. It’s relevant, realistic and completely possible. An app than can make choices for you? I surprised it doesn’t already exist. The Lux in like Siri, but in your own voice and it make decision for you based off of algorithms that weight opportunities, threats, strengths and weaknesses. I can choose what you eat, wear and do and you don’t have to think for yourself. It promises an easy and happy life. Sounds to good to be true. The Lux manipulates its users. It was created by the company Gnosis, which replaces Apple and almost all other tech companies.

The main character, Rory, constantly uses Lux to make her decisions. Rory herself is smart and study-happy. She likes math and other school subjects. She’s amazed when she gets into Theden. Theden is full of secrets and it uses Gnosis technology in the classroom.  Rory has a roommate named Hershey, which is a very odd odd, unique name for a girl.

Rory and Hershey go to a off campus café the first day a Theden and meet a guy named North. I love North, despite his strange hairstyle and tattoos. He’s not the kind of guy that Rory expected herself to like, but he turns out to pretty a pretty great guy. He’s into music and older computer technology. The romance is not instantaneous, but Rory has a desire to be with him instead of the guys at her school early on.

This book was full of the unexpected. There are conspiracies and secret societies and riddles and simulations. They’re all kind of strange thing. It’s not just one genera. It’s Dystopian sci-fi, but very near-future. It’s a thriller and a mystery and romantic. I read that this book started out as a script for a TV show. I can see how that’s likely. It would be awesome as a TV show or even a movie. It makes you think and it show us that it’s sometimes better to get away for technology. I see everyone on their smart phone when all I have is a cheap cell phone that can’t access the internet. I get jealous, but then I realize I don’t want to be leashed to my phone. I love my computer, but I like real books and nature too.

The climax was awesome and the book ended in a way that let us know that t is a standalone. I never expected to like this book as much as I did. The cover and the synopsis made it sound like it was contemporary. I’m so glad I gave this book a chance and I hope other sci-fi fans out there give it a chance too. I read Paralle by Lauren Miller last year and liked it, but this was even better. Lauren Miller know how to conceptualize a story and then bring it to life. If you enjoyed The Program by Suzanne Young, Divergent by Veronica Roth, Elusion by Claudia Gabel and Cheryl Klam, then you may enjoy Free To Fall.

Cover Art Review: Kind of plain. The pixel effect is cool, but it’s not really eye catching. It fits the subject, but I wish is was shiny or had a more interesting image on it.

Allegiant by Veronica Roth

Series: Divergent (bk. 3)

Genera(s): Dystopian Sci-fi/Romance

Subjects: mind-control, action, bravery, choices, fear, futuristic, love, utopias, wars

Setting: Dystopian futuristic Chicago, IL

POV/Tense: 1^st person, present tense, rotating between Tris and Four/Tobias

Age/Grade Level: Teen

Length: 526 pgs.

HC/PB: Hardcover

List Price: $17.99

Publisher: HarperTeen: Katherine Tegan

Summary/ product description: “The faction-based society that Tris Prior once believed in is shattered—fractured by violence and power struggles and scarred by loss and betrayal. So when offered a chance to explore the world past the limits she’s known, Tris is ready. Perhaps beyond the fence, she and Tobias will find a simple new life together, free from complicated lies, tangled loyalties, and painful memories.

But Tris’s new reality is even more alarming than the one she left behind. Old discoveries are quickly rendered meaningless. Explosive new truths change the hearts of those she loves. And once again, Tris must battle to comprehend the complexities of human nature—and of herself—while facing impossible choices about courage, allegiance, sacrifice, and love.

Told from a riveting dual perspective, Allegiant, by #1 New York Times best-selling author Veronica Roth, brings the Divergent series to a powerful conclusion while revealing the secrets of the dystopian world that has captivated millions of readers in Divergent and Insurgent.”

My Review: I don’t know how I feel about this book. People kept on saying that they didn’t like it, but I think it still deserves five stars. It gave me a lot of feels. It was well written and full of exciting discoveries about the outside world. No matter how sad it ended, I’ll still love this series.

Tobias’s mother has eradicated the faction system and it forcing people to not be in factions and to wear clothes from multiple factions. The dress code thing is kind of dumb, but she’s got the factionless enforcing it like a law. There’s a group called the Allegiant who want the faction system back. They plan on causing an uprising and over throwing Evelyn. Tobias helped his mother get rid of the factions with, but regrets it. Tris, Tobias, Christina, Caleb, Cara, Peter, Uriah and a few others go outside the fence to see what’s going on outside the city.

They drive though the ruin and end up at a compound. This is where they find out that the city they were living in was called Chicago. The compound is at O’Hare Airport. Chicago was part of an experiment and nothing was what it seemed. This is the first time Chicago is actually mentioned in the series. I have no problem imagining their trip down I-90 (the Kennedy expressway) to O’Hare Airport. I’m familiar with the area because my grandma lives in Norridge and we always pass O’Hare when we go there. I’ve never actually been inside the airport though, but there’s plenty of picture online that you can use as reference to imagine the story. The ruins are kind of eerie because they would be buildings that I have driven pass.

On the compound they learn what it means to be Divergent and what happened to create the faction system. It was really interesting. I wonder if Veronica planned this, or only came up with the ideas while writing Allegiant. All this stuff about genes and personality traits seems well researched. There’s also new characters introduced. A few scientist and people who work there. The people are separated in a way different from the faction system, but not everyone is equal. We also get to hear about other cities. I like the part when Tris gets to ride a plane and see how big the world really is.

The book did have action and twists and all the awesome stuff you’d expect from this series. There was romance and kissing. There’s one really steamy part between Tobias and Tris. They also argue with each other, but are able to work it out. No love triangle, but maybe a little jealousy. There was also a few sad parts. Parts that will make you cry and grab a tissue box. The ending is bitter sweet, full of sacrifice and sadness, and new beginnings. It wasn’t the ending I expected. I wanted a happy ending. One with triumph and joy and kissing. This ending was more realistic. Life isn’t about being happy all the time. Sacrifices must be made, and here you see that.

If you haven’t read Divergent, then you should. The movie is coming out on March 21, 2014 and you’re missing out if you don’t read the books first.

Cover Art Review: The red-orange-yellow sky background reminds me of Amity’s colors. The water could be for erudite. That’s O’Hare Airport on the bottom. It’s not close to the city the way the photo shows. I pass it all the time when I got to my grandma’s house.

3-D Google Earth image of O'Hare

My Photos of O'Hare

My Chicago Photos

The Blue-Line Train Station

Sears/Willis Tower

Millenium Park

Near UIC

Driving on the express way

Chicago River

Lincoln Park Zoo

Near Grant Park (You can see Navy Pier and the Ferris Wheel in the background)

Train Tracks

Insurgent by Veronica Roth

Series: Divergent (bk. 2)

Genera(s): Dystopian Sci-fi/Romance

Subjects: mind-control, action, bravery, choices, fear, futuristic, love, utopias, wars

Setting: Dystopian futuristic Chicago, IL

POV/Tense: 1^st person, present tense: Tris

Age/Grade Level: Teen

Length: 525 pgs.

HC/PB: Hardcover

List Price: $17.99

Publisher: HarperTeen: Katherine Tegan

Summary/ product description: “Fighting for survival in a shattered world… the truth is her only hope.

The thrillingly dark sequel to No. 1 New York Times bestseller, DIVERGENT.

I have done bad things. I can’t take them back, and they are part of who I am.

Tris has survived a brutal attack on her former home and family. But she has paid a terrible price. Wracked by grief and guilt, she becomes ever more reckless as she struggles to accept her new future.

Yet if Tris wants to uncover the truth about her world, she must be stronger than ever… because more shocking choices and sacrifices lie ahead.”

My Review: I waited way too long to read this sequel. Wayyyyy too long. The movie comes out soon, so I just wanted to finish the series before I saw it. Insurgent was an interesting sequel. I liked Divergent better still. In this book we get to see what’s going on in other factions. It starts in Amity. Amity is many miles away from the downtown area. I’m not sure if it’s even in Cook County. We also get to see inside Candor, and Erudite. This book definitely goes more in-depth with the world building. I enjoyed the setting especially since in live in the suburbs of Chicago. It’s always great to read about my city, even if it’s about a dystopian future.

Tris is really growing as a character. She learns to accept all parts of her Divergent status. She can be selfless, brave and smart. She’s good at analyzing things. She’s very perceptive. She’s also a bit self-destructive and self-sacrificing to the point of stupidity. She was a bit depressed though since her parents died. I feel like Tobias was a little mean in the book. He and Tris fought a lot. I hate when sequel decide they have to test the relationship either with break-ups, arguments, or love triangles. Thankfully no love-triangle. I like Four and wish he’d be a little less moody. But he was kind of funny and he definitely cares about Tris’s safety. We got to see a lot more of Caleb, Tris’s brother. And Christina, Uriah, Peter and so many other characters too.

Insurgent was full of action, twists and turns. Loyalties are tested. Truth serum is used. So people turn out to be less bad that we thought they were. Some people betray others. Deals and compromises are made, but not everything works out the way they planned. Insurgent is exciting. Honestly, the book is kind of long with 525 pages of it, but it’s not difficult. It’s well written. Clear and fast narration. If you have not read either Divergent or Insurgent, then hurry up because the Divergent movie comes out on March 21^st.

Cover Art Review: I love the green and the warped tree. And of course the Chicago skyline. Chi-city is my city!