Waiting on Wednesday: Reached

Author: Ally Condie
Publisher: Dutton Childrens Books
Release Date: November 13, 2012
Synopsis:
Cassia faces the ultimate choices in the long-anticipated conclusion to the New York Times bestselling Matched Trilogy

After leaving Society and desperately searching for the Rising—and each other—Cassia and Ky have found what they were looking for, but at the cost of losing each other yet again: Cassia has been assigned to work for the Rising from within Society, while Ky has been stationed outside its borders. But nothing is as predicted, and all too soon the veil lifts and things shift once again.

In this gripping conclusion to the #1 New York Times bestselling Matched Trilogy, Cassia will reconcile the difficulties of challenging a life too confining, seeking a freedom she never dreamed possible, and honoring a love she cannot live without.

** I have really fallen for this series and the characters throughout my journey reading this book. I am highly anticipating the release of Reached. Sadly i have only reviewed Matched and not Crossed (even though I've read both). So check out my review! :)

**Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event is hosted by Breaking the Spine to share upcomming releases we are eagerly waiting for :)

Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

Title: Shatter Me
Author: Tahereh Mafi
Release Date: November 15, 2011
Synopsis:

Juliette hasn't touched anyone in exactly 264 days.
The last time she did, it was an accident, but The Reestablishment locked her up for murder. No one knows why Juliette's touch is fatal. As long as she doesn't hurt anyone else, no one really cares. The world is too busy crumbling to pieces to pay attention to a 17-year-old girl. Diseases are destroying the population, food is hard to find, birds don't fly anymore, and the clouds are the wrong color.
The Reestablishment said their way was the only way to fix things, so they threw Juliette in a cell. Now so many people are dead that the survivors are whispering war-- and The Reestablishment has changed its mind. Maybe Juliette is more than a tortured soul stuffed into a poisonous body. Maybe she's exactly what they need right now.
Juliette has to make a choice: Be a weapon. Or be a warrior.



*Spoiler Alert... it's mostly just stuff you get in the beginning so unless you really don't care as to whether or not some aspects of the story are revealed to you before you can read it...stop now and come back later...you've been warned ;)...if you have read the book please continue :)


Review:

I couldn't put this book down after the first page. It's addicting and intense. And it's not just because of the story line (though that was truly amazing). What made it a million times more amazing was the writing style. It portrayed the main characters thoughts in a way that was like nothing I've ever read. The use of imagery and metaphors and similes was, in a word, beautiful. The way it was written made it obvious that the character (and the author) see the world with different eyes then most. I really loved where she explained the sun set and how the sky "falls down every day." She was able to reach into the characters head and take lay every thought down on the paper. Tahereh Mafi is the kind of author whose style and mind could never be replicated.
Continuing on...This book has the whole dystopian society going on. Basically the world has nearly fallen apart and this group who call themselves the Reestablishment has taken over. Like most governments in dystopian books, they say they are doing good for the people when it's actually the opposite. They aren't the only thing that's wrong in the world. The clouds are the wrong color, food is scarce, and animals that people once hunted for food are poison. While everyone starves, the people who run the Reestablishment eat and live like nothing is wrong... Yeah, they do a lot to help...
Juliette has a gift, but at points, it might as well be a curse. She can't touch anyone for fear that she would kill them. (Imagine Rouge from X-men and her power but with more screaming.) Because of this she draws into herself and stays there for days at a time and even then she's nice to people who wouldn't hesitate to throw rocks at her or lock her up for 264 days. Throughout this book, her character has grown, becoming stronger and begining to take action. I noticed that Juliet's writing became less unsure and not as many things were being crossed out. It was a good way to show her growth as a character and how much things changed her. I don't want to go into too much detail about how her character had grown, so I'll stop by saying that she has easily become one of my favorite heroines.
Adam was locked up with Juliette in the beginning but not because he is insane or dangerous. He was sent in to watch her and see if she was or wasn't insane. Nice, right? The sad part is that Juliette knows him from several years ago and he didn't seem to even remember her...even after years of going to school together. To me, Adam is the kind of person who has had life throw everything back at him then laugh at his face. Not that he let it keep him down...he's grown from his struggles, everything has made him stronger and determined to keep others, especially a certain person, safe.
Warner is the son of the leader of the Reestablishment. He is malicious and has knack for getting what he wants. In this case, he wants Juliette. Nearly everyone, even her own parents, see her as a monster, Warner sees a weapon. He's convinced himself into thinking that Juliette is just like him, but that's a far cry from the truth. He's the kind of person that doesn't take care much about human lives, save him own. The sad part is that he had tricked himself into thinking he could love Juliette, or maybe he's just in love with the idea of her loving him...That's something to think about.
There are a few more really cool characters but I'll hold off before I start saying anything about them, mostly because they introduced later in the book. You guys deserve to build you're own opinions too, you know ;)
Anyway. I really like the ending of this book. It melts pretty well with the rest of the plot line even if it was a little surprising. You get a strong sense of safety and temporary closure for the characters which come sometimes be lacking in books with multiple installments. And like I said before, this story had me hooked by the first sentence and now I can hardly stand to wait for the rest of the trilogy. So, my rating for this book is a well deserved A for the amazing story line and captivating writing style. I highly recommend this to anyone who likes dystopian books, superpowers, something-different-from-the-usual, YA fantasy books and/or anything X-men. 

Waiting on Wednesday: Darkness Before Dawn

Author: J.A. London (website)
Publisher: HarperTeen
Release Date: May 20, 2012
Synopsis:

The war is over. The humans lost. And in the shattered world that arises, the vampires are king. They rule over the remaining walled cities with an iron fist, none more terrifying than Lord Valentine. His concern is with blood and blood alone, and seeing that it is ‘donated’ on time.
It’s Dawn Montgomery’s duty to ensure the safety of her fellow humans within the city, but also to serve as Delegate to Lord Valentine. She is the conduit between the two worlds, the human and vampire, and the youngest to ever do so.
But when Lord Valentine’s son, Victor, steps into her life, everything changes. She assumes he wants her blood, like all vampires. But he’s after more: her heart.






* Awesome cover and it sounds like a very interesting vampire book.  Adding to me "to-read" pile of books :)
**Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event is hosted by Breaking the Spine to share upcomming releases we are eagerly waiting for :)

Matched by Ally Condie

Title: Matched
Author: Ally Condie
Release: November 30, 2010
Synopsis:

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 should 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's known and a path that no one else has dared to follow.

Review:
Dystopian books always give me mixed feelings. I love the how the authors are able to create alternate worlds that seem so realistic. And I especially love the way each author always has something different to contribute to their idea of a dystopian future. But I have an irrational irritation toward them. Mostly because I like the idea that I can write and speak out against things I don't like but the way the government in these types of books (the Society in Matched) control everything makes me feel that if I was in the book I'd be leading the revolution. So it's the good kind of a love-hate relationship.
Anyway, I like how the author described the Society; they gave only enough freedom to keep the people satisfied but they controlled practically everything else.And I love the undercurrent of rebelliousness coming from the characters in this book. On the surface, everyone is perfect and obeys, but underneath, they all have secret desires and actions.
The main character, Cassia, is  very, for lack of a different word, interesting. She starts as this girl who follows the rules without question, like everyone else, but she does like to think. Her character is set to staying blended in with everyone else in her world. But as the book moved on she became the one red rose in a field of white. She started disliking the ways of society and exploring paths that led her to rebelliousness...
Which leads us my favorite character, Ky. He's witty and incredibly intelligent, even though he likes to hide it. Not that he doesn't have a reason. Ky, like Cassia, want to stay out of notice of the society, but for different reasons. I won't tell you why, though. Anyway,he has his own view on the world that was shaped when he was a child. In my opinion, he is just what Cassia a needs, someone to balance her out.
Xander is like Ky in many ways, but he shows his emotions easier than Ky. I guess most ways Xander is perfect for Cassia. They've known each other for years and they know everything about each other. But there is such thing as too perfect. Another thing about Xander is he would do nearly anything to make Cassia happy, even if it means destroying his own happiness.
Love Triangles are so complicated!
(I could go on about other characters but I think I'll stop at these three)
Throughout Matched I could hardly put the book down. True, there were a few down times where if felt as if not much happened, but the undercurrent of a would be/should be romance between Cassia and Ky and trouble with the Society kept me hooked till the end. So the down times didn't hinder the book.
Also, while the plot line for Matched isn't necessarily original (many dystopian books have controlling governments), the way the author portray the novel is. Cassia, a girl in a society that controls everything finding the courage to break free and be her own person and all the while she is trying to continue a relationship with the wrong guy with a bad background. It's a really interesting plot and even more so with all the other little details and parts incorrperated in it; which is why it has became one of my must reads.
And on that note, I will say the ending is practically a cliff hanger. But, in my opinion the ending was sort of abrupt and I can say I had though there would have been more to it. Either way, I can't wait to discover what happens between Cassia and Ky and Xander in Crossed. I'm bouncing in anticipation just thinking about it. I recommend this book to anyone who likes love triangles and dystopian worlds. Matched earned the rating of an B+ for it's plot, characters, and tendency to make a reader never want to put it down.