Rebellion by J. A. Souders

Series: The Elysium Chronicles (bk. 3)

Genera: Dystopian Sci-fi/Romance

Subjects: underwater colonies, Florida, love, memory, brain-washing, psychological, nanotechnology

Setting: Florida and a sea colony called Elysium

POV/Tense: 1^st person POV, present tense, rotating between Evie and Gavin

Age/Grade Level: Teen

Length: 333 pgs.

HC/PB: Hardcover

List Price: $18.99

Publisher: MacMillan: TorTeen

Summary/ product description: “The thrilling conclusion to J. A. Souders’s riveting SF psychological thriller series for teens

In this conclusion to J. A. Souders’s thrilling, twist-filled Elysium Chronicles series, Evie Winters and Gavin Hunter return to the isolated, dangerous underwater city that they fought so hard to escape.

Back in Elysium at last, Evie has finally found her true-self hidden under layers and layers of false memories implanted by the woman she knew as Mother. Thanks to the intervention of her father, she knows the horrible truth about Mother and her insidious plans for her city. With the help of the love of her life, Gavin, and her best friend, Asher St. James, she’s determined to free her people from the cruel dictatorship of Mother’s laws. But how do you free people who don’t know they need rescuing?

Working with the growing Underground rebellion, Evie tries to remove Mother from her position by force—with disastrous results. As the body count rises, Evie must find a way to save Elysium before Mother destroys them all.”

My Review: Rebellion is the finale to the Elysium trilogy. If you are unfamiliar with the series, it’s set in an under water sea colony that used to be a resort, but then a woman who calls herself mother killed her father, the owner and took over. Evie is her daughter, but not by birth. Evie keeps getting her memories erased. There’s a boy named Gavin who comes from the surface and romance happens. I recommend it if you like dystopians or the idea of sea colonies. If you have not read the series, then spoilers ahead because this is a review of the final book.

This book, like the previous book, is told from 2 point-of views: Evie and Gavin. I don’t recall the first book having Gavin’s POV. Evie knows that she used to be an Enforcer and she met her birthmother. She meets a woman named Nadia and discovers the Underground, the people living in a place called the Caverns in an underdeveloped hidden section of Elysium. They are planning a rebellion against mother. Also Gavin has to go to the surface because the other have nanites in them that could wipe their memories it the leave.

Gavin goes to his mother, who thought he was dead. Apparently his little brother angered the mayor of their village and now they’re not allowed to trade or be full citizens. Gavin gets pissed about this and the mayor tries to bribe Gavin for information on his son Asher and Evie’s whereabouts. Meanwhile Evie and the Underground come up with a plan that involves wearing mask with her face on them and gaining the trust of the citizens and help to take down mother.

I was a bit disappointed with this finale. I loved the first two books, but this one felt lacking and also the ending left a lot of questions, as crazy as it was. There was not as much romance or action or adventure. Having to wait and extra year to read this book that was not worth the wait. I still like the character and love the setting, but this felt like it was trying to imitate other dystopian finales at least until the very end. I just wish things went differently.

Cover Art Review: I like the cover. Evie is wearing an Enforcer cloak here. I’m not sure if the dress is what they wear too.

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In a Handful of Dust by Mindy McGinnis

Series: Not a Drop to Drink (bk. 2)

Genera(s): Dystopian Sci-fi

Subjects: survival, adventure, travel, action, post-apocalyptic

Setting: Traveling from Ohio to California. Many states. Set 10 years after the previous book occurred.

POV/Tense: 3^rd person POV, past tense: Lucy, at age 16

Age/Grade Level: Teen

Length: 371 pgs.

HC/PB: Hardcover

List Price: $17.99

Publisher: HarperTeen: Katherine Tegen

Summary/ product description: “The only thing bigger than the world is fear.

Lucy’s life by the pond has always been full. She has water and friends, laughter and the love of her adoptive mother, Lynn, who has made sure that Lucy’s childhood was very different from her own. Yet it seems Lucy’s future is settled already—a house, a man, children, and a water source—and anything beyond their life by the pond is beyond reach.

When disease burns through their community, the once life-saving water of the pond might be the source of what’s killing them now. Rumors of desalinization plants in California have lingered in Lynn’s mind, and the prospect of a “normal” life for Lucy sets the two of them on an epic journey west to face new dangers: hunger, mountains, deserts, betrayal, and the perils of a world so vast that Lucy fears she could be lost forever, only to disappear in a handful of dust.

In this companion to Not a Drop to Drink, Mindy McGinnis thrillingly combines the heart-swelling hope of a journey, the challenges of establishing your own place in the world, and the gripping physical danger of nature in a futuristic frontier”

My Review:  An amazing companion novel/sequel, In a Handful of Dust might even be better than the first book Not a Drop to Drink. This is a survival adventure though a post-apocalyptic world in which water is hard to find. Even though it’s technically a companion novel, I’d suggest reading Not a Drop to drink to hear Lynn’s survival story.

I didn’t mind the 3^rd person or dislike any of the characters. It’s purely gripping dystopian survival. The plot is mainly the physical journey and Lucy’s own personal journey of becoming a woman. The first book was set solely in Ohio, but this book takes us from there all the way to California. I love books with travel and adventure. Especially when they travel to real places. Lynn and Lucy start in Ohio, then go through Indiana, Illinois (where I live), across the Mississippi into Iowa…and so on.

She has Lynn for support. Lynn, who’s now 26 or 27, still has her rifle and has great aim with it. Lynn is tough, and Lucy’s more emotional and hopeful. Lynn talks like a country person and Lucy talks more like she grew up in a town, which she did. Lynn seems more like a cowgirl. In the first book she didn’t do much traveling, but she does have survival expertise.

There’s no romance in this book. Lucy and Carter liked each other, but he’s only in the beginning of the book. This book focuses on a different kind of relationship. A Mother/Daughter or Mentor/Apprentice kind of relationship, but it’s more like Guardian/Adopter Daughter.

If you have not read these books and like YA dystopian, then you should read them. If you enjoyed: Ashfall, Rot & Ruin, Matched, Under The Never Sky, In The After, or any other YA books with survival and adventure, then give this series a chance.

Cover Art Review: Love the colors, which are the same as the 1^st book’s cover. A very epic landscape with the characters traveling. And a big title.

Infographic from Epic Reads:

The Death Cure by James Dashner

Series: The Maze Runner (bk. 3)

Genera(s): Dystopian Sci-fi

Subjects: survival, memory, adventure, experiments, deserts, post-apocalyptic

Setting: Denver, Colorado, and other places

POV/Tense: 3^rd person POV, limited, past tense: Thomas

Age/Grade Level: Teen

Length: 324 pgs.

HC/PB: Hardcover, now in Paperback. Available in audio book and e-book.

List Price: $17.99/$9.99

Publisher: Random House: Delacorte Press

Summary/ product description: “It’s the end of the line.

WICKED has taken everything from Thomas: his life, his memories, and now his only friends—the Gladers. But it’s finally over. The trials are complete, after one final test.

Will anyone survive?

What WICKED doesn’t know is that Thomas remembers far more than they think. And it’s enough to prove that he can’t believe a word of what they say.

The truth will be terrifying.

Thomas beat the Maze. He survived the Scorch. He’ll risk anything to save his friends. But the truth might be what ends it all.

The time for lies is over.”

My Review:  In honor of the Maze Runner movie coming to theater next month, I decided I had to finish the whole series before I see it. In order to do that, I went to the library and checked out the Death Cure audio book read by actor Mark Deakins. I own a hardcover copy of the book, but it was awesome with the audio book. Mark does. I listened to Maze Runner as an audio book. This series has the best audio book version I’ve ever listened too. I enjoyed when he did Newt’s voice especially. So many different accents and it’s hard to tell that this is all the same guy’s voice.

This was an interesting ending. Not nearly as good as the first book, but still really awesome. Lots of action and world building. I like that this one is set in a real city, even if it’s a future dystopian version of it. I’ve been to Denver once (back in 2003, before 6^th grade). It was a nice city. A lot different from Chicago because it’s by mountains instead of a lake. This is a very sad version of Denver though because the flare virus is running rampant. This series is a very complex kind of dystopian in which there’s a government agency called WICKED and there’s a virus that drives people into cannibalistic madness and climate change caused by a solar flare.

I like the characters, but it’s not to crazy about the main character Thomas. As I said before, I think Dylan O’Brien playing him will make him so much more awesome. He just seemed too kind and naïve in this series, but he experiences a loss of innocence when he’s forced to do something he’d probably never image doing. It’s partially because he doesn’t have his memories back. He’s just a new person learning to live and survive. He’s grown since Maze Runner, but he’s got a great big heart. He uses the slag he’s picked up from the other Gladers a lot. He has important friendship and a little romance too. He’s not into Teresa anymore romantically since being with Brenda.

There’s were some very sad deaths in this book. Some things that were left unresolved. I kind of disappointed. This isn’t my favorite dystopian series, but I did enjoy it. As a movie series it’ll probably be awesome. The Hunger Games was not one of my favorite dystopian series, but I loved the movies, so I’m hoping it’ll be awesome. I hope they don’t split The Death Cure into two parts. It would be so unnecessary because not that much happens until near the end. I still have to read the prequel book, The Kill Order, so I’ll see how that clears up the book.

If you haven’t read the Maze Runner series, it’s similar to a book series called Taken by Erin Bowmen. I believe her book may have been influenced by The Maze Runner. I’ve read Eye Of Minds by James Dashner and that was good. James Dashner has really interest twist and sci-fi concepts and wonder world-building.

Cover Art Review: A tower and a snowy mountain? Pretty awesome looking.