Dove Exiled by Karen Bao

Series: Dove Chronicles (bk. 2)

Genera(s): Dystopian Sci-fi/Romance

Subjects: moon, space, space colonies, ocean, sea colonies, adventure, war, love

Setting: In Odan, a village on one of the British Isles, floating cities, a moon colony

POV/Tense: 1st person POV, present tense: Phaet Theta

Age/Grade Level: Teen

Length: 297 pgs.

HC/PB: Hardcover

List Price: $17.99

Publisher: Penguin: Viking

Summary/ product description: “The thrilling follow-up to the groundbreaking debut Dove Arising.

Phaet Theta fled the Moon and has been hiding on Earth with her friend Wes and his family. But Phaet’s past catches up with her when the Lunar Bases attack the community and reveal that Phaet is a fugitive. She’s torn between staying on Earth with Wes—whom she’s just discovered her feelings for—and stowing away on a Moon-bound ship to rescue her siblings from the wrath of the government who killed their mother. But when Phaet makes the agonizing decision to return to the Moon, she finds the rebel movement there has turned her into their “Girl Sage,” a symbol of their struggle. She’s the biggest celebrity on the Moon: half the people worship her, and the other half want her dead.”

My Review:  Dove Exiled is the sequel to Dove Arising. It starts out with Phaet on Earth, in a town called Odan with Wes. Odan is on an island within the Bristish Isles archipelago. The Odans hate technology and chemicals and use only organic stuff. The use bioluminescent bacteria for lights at night. They make their own clothes.

The Odan’s are not sure what to make of Phaet. Wes and her concoct a back-story the she is Fay, and was an engine room slave in Pacifia, a floating city that has a population made primarily of Asian people.  The Odans call Lunars “demons” because their lack of religion, and the Odans a very religious. This is mainly why Phaet could not tell then that she is Lunar.

Wes’s dad discovers her true identity and is not too happy about it. Wes and Phaet are exiled, but decide to help the Odans out and set off for the floating city of Battery Bay to help them because Pacifia is planning to attack Odan. Phaet wants to use Pacifia to get back to Base IV on the moon and save her brother Cygnus who’s being tortured there.

I really thought the idea floating cities was cool. I thought they were going to be just huge ships, but they are actually floating cities. Real cities with roads or cannels, tall towers and homes. One was called Tourmaline, which is this really beautiful long, straight gemstone.

Phaet gets back to the moon, and is a fugitive and trying to save her brother. Phaet get turned into a legend, a symbol of rebellion, kind of like Katniss as the Mockingjay, or even Mare as the Red Queen. They call her the Sage Girl. The rebellion called Dovetail, originally formed by Phaet’s mother, came up with a plan for the council election. Something causes difficulties for their plans.

This sequel was not bad, but I didn’t enjoy it as much as the first book. It was a lot shorter, and also I forgot what happened exactly in the previous book. I think the book begins month later after the first book ended.

I recommend this book series to fans of: Divergent by Veronica Roth, Cinder by Melissa Meyer, The Hunger Games, Matched or Atlantia by Ally Condie, Reboot by Amy Tintera, and other various dystopian series. Also, if you enjoy books set in space, like Across the Universe by Beth Revis.

Cover Art Review: Much better than previous book’s cover. Cool illustrations. Love the city in the background.

Dove Arising by Karen Bao

Publication Date: February 24, 2015

Series: Dove Chronicles (bk. 1)

Genera(s): Dystopian Sci-fi/Romance

Subjects: space colonies, space, soldiers

Setting: A Moon colony

POV/Tense: 1^st person POV, present tense: Phaet Theta

Age/Grade Level: Teen

Length: 324 pgs.

HC/PB: Hardcover

List Price: $17.99

Publisher: Penguin: Viking

Summary/ product description: “Phaet Theta has lived her whole life in a colony on the Moon. She’s barely spoken since her father died in an accident nine years ago. She cultivates the plants in Greenhouse 22, lets her best friend talk for her, and stays off the government’s radar.

Then her mother is arrested.

The only way to save her younger siblings from the degrading Shelter is by enlisting in the Militia, the faceless army that polices the Lunar bases and protects them from attacks by desperate Earth-dwellers. Training is brutal, but it’s where Phaet forms an uneasy but meaningful alliance with the preternaturally accomplished Wes, a fellow outsider.

Rank high, save her siblings, free her mom:  that’s the plan. Until Phaet’s logically ordered world begins to crumble...

Suspenseful, intelligent, and hauntingly prescient, Dove Arising stands on the shoulders of our greatest tales of the future to tell a story that is all too relevant today.”

My Review:  Dove Arising is a dystopian book that has some similarities to other dystopian books, but it is still unique. It’s set within a moon colony and the main character is of Chinese descent. Phaet is very intelligent and doesn’t talk very much. She only speaks when she feels that it’s necessary. She works in agriculture with her friend, Umbriel. When Phaet’s mother is taken away to medical, Phaet and her siblings are left with barely any income and must live in the shelter or find a larger source of income. Phaet decideds to join the militia.

The initiation and training into the militia comes with 4 tests over 2 months. A lot of the training reminded me of Divergent by Veronica Roth. I wonder if the author was a fan of Divergent. Also setting a book on the moon could mean she’s a fan of the Lunar Chronicles. Either way, this book is pretty interesting and will appeal to fans of those series. There’s a deeper meaning of how societies are ran and dealing with issues. Phaet had to leave behind her dreams of becoming a scientist to join the militia so she could earn a high rank and money to support her family.

Dove Arising is an easy read and never boring. Since the main character is 15, the story is fine for a younger audience. It’s not that gruesome and the violence it minimum. There’s just enough action and romance. It’s not the most amazing of dystopian books I’ve read, but it’s pretty good and deserving of four stars. The characters have their own unique traits and there’s a lot of diversity of heritage mentioned. This book would be great for discussion of hard topics.

I recommend this book to fans of: Divergent by Veronica Roth, Cinder by Melissa Meyer, The Hunger Games, Matched or Atlantia by Ally Condie, Reboot by Amy Tintera, and other various dystopian series. Also, if you enjoy books set in space, like Across the Universe by Beth Revis.

Cover Art Review: I’m sure this cover will be more interesting than the ARC is. Textured or metallic? The girl on the cover is the main character, who is of Chinese descent and has silver streaky hair.

If I Stay by Gayle Forman

Publication Date: 2009

Series: If I Stay (bk. 1) Where She Went is the companion novel/2^nd book.

Genera(s): Cotemporary/Paranormal/Romance

Subjects: death, afterlife, comas, grief, supernatural, musicians

Setting: Oregon

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

Age/Grade Level: Teen

Length: 234 pgs.

HC/PB: Paperback

List Price: $9.99

Publisher: Penguin/Speak

Summary/ product description: “The critically acclaimed, bestselling novel from Gayle Forman, author of Where She Went, Just One Day, and the forthcoming Just One Year.

On a day that started like any other, Mia had everything: a loving family, a gorgeous, admiring boyfriend, and a bright future full of music and full of choices. In an instant, almost all of that is taken from her. Caught between life and death, between a happy past and an unknowable future, Mia spends one critical day contemplating the only decision she has left. It is the most important decision she'll ever make.

Simultaneously tragic and hopeful, this is a romantic, riveting, and ultimately uplifting story about memory, music, living, dying, loving.”

My Review:  I read If I Stay in less than a day. No joke. I decided I had to read it since the movie’s coming out and I had a paperback copy with a personalized, autographed book plate. I met Gayle Forman at a YA let conference in Naperville, at Hotel Arista. If I Stay came out in 2009, 5 years ago, and I always though it was just plain contemporary. I surprised that there was a touch of paranormal in it. It’s been compared to Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver, which I also haven’t read, but I known that it’s similar.

The best parts of this book are the music talk and the humorous dialogue. My brother Brandon plays the Cello in his high school Orchestra. He’s not nearly as dedicated as the main character Mia is in this book. The cello’s not a popular instrument like guitar or piano, but it make some beautiful, sorrowful or joyful music. I could just imagine a soundtrack of cello music in the background as I read this. I hope the movie does the book justice, music wise at least.

This book was very fast and easy. It’s a simple concept that I’ve read before. We get a lot of the character’s memories and flashbacks. We get to see what’s happening around her coma body in the hospital. She has an out-of-body experience. It’s not exactly like the Reese Witherspoon movie Just Like Heaven. No one can see her or talk to her. She can’t go through walls, but see can open doors.  It’s interesting, but I feel like more could have happened. I’m sure more does happen, just not in her experience. Maybe if I read Where She Went, which is in Adam’s POV, then I’ll get more. There’s a little romance, mostly in the flashbacks. No out-of-body kisses for Mia.

I recommend this if you like Before I Fall, Ashes, Ashes, The Catastrophe of You and Me, Between, The Lovely Bones, or movies like Just Like Heaven. Read If I Stay before you see it in theaters!

Cover Art Review: Very simple cover. Looks cold and sad. Mia has brown hair, so it’s portray Mia better than the movie does.