Mindwalker by A.J. Steiger

Series: Mindwalker (bk. 1)

Genera(s): Dystopian Sci-fi/Romance

Subjects: memory, brainwashing, psychology, love, technology

Setting: The city of Aura in the United Republic (in the future)

POV/Tense: 1^st person POV, present tense: Lain Fisher

Age/Grade Level: Teen

Length: 393 pgs.

HC/PB: Hardcover

List Price: $17.99

Publisher: Penguin: Alfred A. Knopf

Summary/ product description: “At seventeen, Lain Fisher has already aced the Institute's elite training program for Mindwalkers, therapists who use a direct neural link to erase a patient's traumatic memories. A prodigy and the daughter of a renowned scientist-whose unexplained death left her alone in the world-Lain is driven by the need to save others.

When Steven, a troubled classmate, asks her to wipe a horrific childhood experience from his mind, Lain's superiors warn her to stay away. Steven's scars are too deep, they say; the risk too great. Yet the more time Lain spends with him, the more she begins to question everything about her society. As she defies the warnings and explores Steven's memories, it becomes clear that he's connected to something much bigger…something the Institute doesn't want the world to discover.

Lain never expected to be a rule breaker. She certainly didn't plan on falling in love with a boy she's been forbidden to help. But then, she never expected to stumble into a conspiracy that could ignite a revolution.”

My Review:  This book was surprisingly awesome. I enjoyed every minute of it. It’s a unique kind of dystopian book in that it’s set in a society where psychological differences separate people. There it a Type system. Type 1 is most stable, type 4 and 5 least stable mentally. Lain is type 1, Steven is type 4. Steven was kidnapped when he was younger and wants Lain to erase those memories because she is a Mindwalker. It’s Lain’s job to help rid people of disturbing memories. When Lain begins helping Steven against the rule, she starts to uncover something big. And a romance develops between them.

This it such an entertaining read. Steven’s lines are often funny and memorable. Lain’s a great narrator. The romance is funny and kind of good-girl/bad-boy. It’s not as cliché as it sounds. These are some great memorable characters and we get to discover their pasts. There’s a lot of mystery too them. There are quite a few twists in the story too.

The whole idea of Mindwalking is really interesting. This device called a Gate enables you to see and feel what a person is thinking and experience their memories. It’s like virtual reality, but real events.

There’s just such a great story here. It’s a kind of under the radar book. There are similarities to other series here, but it’s pretty unique. Minder by Michelle Jaffe and Uninvited by Sophie Jordan and Elusion by Claudia Gabel and Cheryl Klam are the closest comparisons.

Cover Art Review: Beautiful colors and title treatment.

The Death Code by Lindsay Cummings

Genera(s): Dystopian Sci-fi/Thriller

Subjects: murder, death, love, mystery, action, assassins

Setting: in the future, in Florida, near the everglades in a place called the Shallows, and then the Ridge in Washington

POV/Tense: 1^st person POV, present tense, rotating between Meadow and Zephyr

Age/Grade Level: Teen

Length: 496 pgs.

HC/PB: Hardcover

List Price: $17.99

Publisher: HarperTeen: Greenwillow

Summary/ product description: “With short, fast-paced, alternating point-of-view chapters, The Death Code starts several weeks after The Murder Complex ended. Zephyr keeps the secret about Meadow close—that if she dies, The Murder Complex will be destroyed, too. Meadow, desperate to find her brother, father, and little sister, is determined to fearlessly fight to the end, even if it means sacrificing herself and her friends, new and old. The Death Code introduces a memorable cast of secondary characters and delivers a vivid and scary thrill ride read.”

My Review: The Death Code, the sequel to the Murder Complex is a fast-paced thrill ride. It’s set in Florida’s everglades and then Washington state at the Ridge. The story alternates between Meadow and Zephyr’s point of views. Meadow is very badass and was trained by her father. Zephyr is a patient of the Murder Complex programmed to kill, but would prefer not to.

The Initiative has captured Meadow and is torturing her to get information about the resistance and the whereabouts of her mother. Meadow is strong and doesn’t tell then anything. She doesn’t know where her mother is and doesn’t really care since her mother is the reason why the Murder Complex exists. They decide that using Meadows sister Peri might get Meadow to do what they ask.

When Meadow finally escapes, stuff happens. Around page 150 things are really set into motion by a tragic event that actually may have been good. (If I tell you anything else it would be a spoiler.) Then Meadow and Zephyr head across country to the Ridge, another testing site where Peri and the rest of her family is being held. The Ridge is crazy. It’s the testing site for genetic mutation where the Initiative is hoping to find something called the “Death Code” or the cure to the The Cure (nanites). It’s full of dangers that Meadow never experienced in the Shallows. Can Meadow rescue her family and bring down the Murder Complex before it’s to late?

I love the characters. Meadow reminds me so much of Tris Prior from Divergent. She makes lot of sacrifices and is truly brave and Zephyr is kind of like Four. The world building is scary. People get murdered daily in the Shallow. The murder rate is higher than the birth rate. This story is full of murder and horrible event, sometimes gruesome. I wouldn’t recommend it to the younger kids. This book is bloodier than the Hunger Games. Like Katniss, Meadow has a younger sister that she cares for: Peri. I recommend this to fans of Divergent, The Hunger Games, Legend, Reboot, The Maze Runner, and other action-packed YA dystopian book about survival.

Cover Art Review: I know it’s supposed to by Zephyr. Kind of wish the cover was more interesting.

The Murder Complex by Lindsay Cummings

Series: The Murder Complex (bk. 1)

Genera(s): Dystopian Sci-fi/Thriller

Subjects: murder, death, love, mystery, action, assassins

Setting: in the future, in Florida, near the everglades in a place called the Shallows, in June

POV/Tense: 1^st person POV, present tense, rotating between Meadow and Zephyr

Age/Grade Level: Teen

Length: 398 pgs.

HC/PB: Hardcover and now in Paperback

List Price: $17.99/$9.99

Publisher: HarperTeen: Greenwillow

Summary/ product description: “An action-packed, blood-soaked, futuristic debut thriller set in a world where the murder rate is higher than the birthrate. For fans of Moira Young’s Dust Lands series, La Femme Nikita, and the movie Hanna.

Meadow Woodson, a fifteen-year-old girl who has been trained by her father to fight, to kill, and to survive in any situation, lives with her family on a houseboat in Florida. The state is controlled by The Murder Complex, an organization that tracks the population with precision.

The plot starts to thicken when Meadow meets Zephyr James, who is—although he doesn’t know it—one of the MC’s programmed assassins. Is their meeting a coincidence? Destiny? Or part of a terrifying strategy? And will Zephyr keep Meadow from discovering the haunting truth about her family?

Action-packed, blood-soaked, and chilling, this is a dark and compelling debut novel by Lindsay Cummings.”

My Review:  The Murder Complex is a bloody story filled with action. It’s a fast-paced thrill ride. It’s set in Florida, in the everglades. Meadow, the main character, lives in a boathouse with her family. It’s not a setting that I’ve read before in Dystopian. The story alternates between Meadow and Zephyr’s point of views. Meadow is very badass and was trained by her father. Zephyr seems kind of too-nice, but he’s got a dark secret, some of which he doesn’t even know.

This story is full of murder and horrible event, sometimes gruesome. I wouldn’t recommend it to the younger kids. This book is bloodier than the Hunger Games. Like Katniss, Meadow has a younger sister that she care for: Peri. Meadow’s mother is dead. Meadow’s older brother doesn’t have a job because he didn’t pass his trial. Meadow’s dad is a fisherman.

The world building is scary. People get murdered daily in the Shallow. The murder rate is higher than the death rate. Anyone could be next. People kill for survival reasons as well. Everyone must know self-defense. There’s the government called the Initiative that set four rules for the people within the perimeter. If not followed they could be killed. There’s as The Murder Complex, the organization behind the murders. Not all the murders are random. There’s a deep mystery behind the murder complex that could be linked to both Meadow and Zephyr past.

I recommend this to fans of Divergent, The Hunger Games, Legend and other action-packed YA dystopian book about survival.

Cover Art Review: Bloody looking. I thought that was a drawing and not a photo, but it’s a photo and it’s been photoshopped in some way. I like the cover, but don’t love it. Face covers are so overdone.