Once by Anna Carey

Once
Anna Carey
Publisher: HarperTeen
Released: July 3, 2012
Genre: Dystopian
Pages: 320
Source: Accepted from publisher
Series: Eve #2

When you're being hunted, who can you trust?

For the first time since she escaped from her school many months ago, Eve can sleep soundly. She's living in Califia, a haven for women, protected from the terrifying fate that awaits orphaned girls in The New America.

But her safety came at a price: She was forced to abandon Caleb, the boy she loves, wounded and alone at the city gates. When Eve gets word that Caleb is in trouble, she sets out into the wild again to rescue him, only to be captured and brought to the City of Sand, the capital of The New America.

Trapped inside the City walls, Eve uncovers a shocking secret about her past--and is forced to confront the harsh reality of her future. When she discovers Caleb is alive, Eve attempts to flee her prison so they can be together--but the consequences could be deadly. She must make a desperate choice to save the ones she loves . . . or risk losing Caleb forever.

I really enjoyed Eve when I read it last year, and I eagerly awaited the sequel. I haven't always loved dystopians, but I have been blown away by a few - namely, The Hunger Games and Divergent. The key for me has been great writing and great world-building, which really should be found in every genre, it just might be trickier in the world of dystopia. I thought Eve was a pretty good addition to the genre, and it's been one that I continue to recommend when dystopian fans ask for suggestions.

Once picks up where Eve left off with Eve living a relatively safe life in Califia. She misses Caleb desperately, but she knows what awaits her if she leaves her safehold. The king is still after her with warrants out for her arrest, but Eve must leave when she learns the women of Califia are only keeping her safe for leverage. That along with the fact that Caleb is injured out in the wild pushes Eve to escape. She is soon captured through a trap and brought to the City of Sand.

I am going to try really hard to get through this without any spoilers. The relationship between Eve and the king was extremely well done. It would have been easy to go in another direction, but the direction the author took left much more possibility in my opinion. I really really appreciated that. I loved that Arden found her, I loved the few friends (and enemies) Eve made in the city, and I loved that Eve was able to visit her past through actual encounters and flashbacks. I still didn't feel Caleb. I thought he honestly loved Eve and she him, but I unfortunately didn't feel the chemistry between them. I had a problem with this in book one, and I had hoped it would have improved in this book.*

There is one thing that I am dying to talk about which would be a major spoiler, so I'm going to leave it to you to highlight here: Okay so... I don't think Caleb is really dead. I think Moss told Eve this so that she would be forced to play princess and kill the king. Thoughts?? Answer agree or disagree in the comments, but try not to spoil it for anyone else!

My only complaint was that I didn't reread Eve before diving into Once. My memory was a little hazy, and I forgot a few of the characters (Arden). I would at least skim the last few chapters of Eve if it's been a while because Once takes off right where the first book ended. This is definitely not the fault of the book nor the author, just my crummy memory.

*I truly think it's a personal thing because other readers LOVE Caleb, and this didn't deter me much from the whole of the book.

FTC: I received an ARC of this novel from Harper Collins in exchange for an honest review.

Eve by Anna Carey

Eve
Anna Carey
Publisher: HarperTeen
Released: October 4, 2011
Genre: Dystopian
Pages: 320
Source: BEA
Series: Eve #1

Sixteen years after a deadly virus wiped out most of Earth’s population, the world is a perilous place. Eighteen-year-old Eve has never been beyond the heavily guarded perimeter of her school, where she and two hundred other orphaned girls have been promised a future as the teachers and artists of the New America. But the night before graduation, Eve learns the shocking truth about her school’s real purpose—and the horrifying fate that awaits her.

Fleeing the only home she’s ever known, Eve sets off on a long, treacherous journey, searching for a place she can survive. Along the way she encounters Arden, her former rival from school, and Caleb, a rough, rebellious boy living in the wild. Separated from men her whole life, Eve has been taught to fear them, but Caleb slowly wins her trust . . . and her heart. He promises to protect her, but when soldiers begin hunting them, Eve must choose between true love and her life.

I know I've said this before, but I am a bit of a contemporary snob. While there are certainly examples of other genres that have rocked my socks off, I am most happy with real stories, be it gushy or gritty. That said, dystopian novels tend to pique my interest when I first hear about them but then fall off my radar. I admit to being intimidated by dystopian societies, especially when there are so few standalones amidst a sea of trilogies. They sound so darn intriguing, but I let them sit on my shelf, too afraid to invest myself in multiple installments of mediocrity. Such was thankfully not the case with Eve. Well, I did let it sit around a bit before picking it up, but I was intrigued by the first chapter and completely hooked by the fourth or fifth.

Eve is a model student, valedictorian of her graduating class, eager to move on to the City of Sand where she will contribute to the new society in a meaningful way. All is not how it seems, however, and when Eve learns the truth of what her life will be after school, she knows she must find a way out. Narrowly escaping her teachers, forced to leave her friends behind, Eve sets off through the forests in search of a rumored safe haven for women. She meets a boy along the way, who defies everything she's been taught about men. He helps her, even when it's not in his best interest, and Eve must choose which path to take - with him or without him.

Eve was a plenty likeable character, and I enjoyed her journeys - physical, mental, emotional. This was definitely more of a plot driven novel, but such is the way of most dystopian stories. The plot was very good, and I thought the world-building was interesting. It definitely had the creeper factor, which is something I like to see from this genre. Caleb didn't exactly make me swoon, but his selflessness was definitely attractive.

Fans of The Hunger Games and Divergent won't find quite the same level of brilliance in Eve; however, it is a remarkable addition to the genre that is so popular. It is an engrossing, quick read that can easily be devoured in one sitting. Its sequel, Once, is available in stores tomorrow.

FTC: I received a copy of this novel from BEA 2011

Matched by Allie Condie

Matched
Ally Condie
Publisher: Dutton
Released: November 30, 2010
Age Group: YA
Pages: 384
Source: Cavalier House Books

In the Society, Officials decide. Who you love. Where you work. When you die.

Cassia has always trusted their choices. It's barely any price to pay for a long life, the perfect job, the ideal mate. So when her best friend appears on the Matching screen, Cassia knows with complete certainty that he is the one . . . until she sees another face flash for an instant before the screen fades to black. Now Cassia is faced with impossible choices: between Xander and Ky, between the only life she's known and a path no one else has ever dared follow - between perfection and passion.

Two months ago I found myself in a bit of a reading rut. I picked up several titles from my to-read pile only to toss them back on top of the heap. I reread a few old favorites, watched some trashy television, and thought about picking up Matched. Why I hesitate when it comes to dystopian fiction is beyond me. While it's proven to be a genre I enjoy, I'm never very eager to pick it up. But despite my reluctance, Matched was another fabulous dystopian.

Reading about Cassia's life left me full of empathy for her. While admittedly passive and only questioning when provoked, Cassia was content with life because the Society made her that way. It wasn't until she was caught up in a glitch in the system that she began to wonder if she truly did have a choice. Who wouldn't want to live in a world that insured one would be healthy, happy, and fulfilled? It really didn't sound that awful before realizing that living in a controlled environment, as safe as it may be, isn't really living.

The Society and the world it was in was extremely fascinating to me. Ally Condie did such an amazing job of world-building throughout the novel. Things were revealed slowly, but it allowed the reader to better understand the world Cassia lived in one function at a time. It seemed to also coincide with Cassia's understanding because even as a citizen, she didn't know how or why the Society functioned the way it did.

The only thing that kept Matched from being a favorite of 2010 was my indifference for Ky. I could see the appeal of the unknown and the forbidden, but there weren't any other qualities he possessed to make him more enticing to me. I actually felt myself rooting for Xander - he seemed attractive and like he genuinely loved Cassia, which made him much more appealing in my eyes. I'm hopeful Condie will be a little more revealing in the sequel and make Ky seem more worthy of being a contender.

Overall Matched was a fantastic novel by a very talented author. It ended with just the right amount of opening for part two and closure to keep us breathing until its release this fall. Cavalier House Books has Matched in stock and Crossed available for preorder in their store and on their website.

The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan

The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan

Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers

Released: March 10, 2009

Age Group: Young Adult

Pages: 320 (Hardcover)

Source: Library

Seven generations after the Return, Mary lives in a village surrounded by the Forest of Hands and Teeth. Beyond the fences are the Unconsecrated, virally infected undead who feed on human flesh. Mary's world is ruled by a religious order called the Sisterhood. The Sisterhood controls all aspects of life to protect the village's existence. While most are content with life in the village, Mary dreams of the ocean and stories her mother told her of life before the Return. Mary soon loses her family and is forced to join the Sisterhood where she learns that there are secrets being kept from the village - secrets that shock her.

I really really liked this book. Think The Village meets I Am Legend. This was another book I picked up without really knowing what it was about. I kept seeing it (and its sequel) popping up on other book blogs, but I hadn't really read the reviews. Needless to say, while I was pretty skeptical after the first few pages, I was pleasantly surprised after a couple of chapters. Who knew I liked zombies?! Who would've thought dystopian would be my new favorite genre?! (I'm still pretty excited about this book in case you couldn't tell.) I thought the story was original, the writing was fantastic, and overall it was a very captivating read. My one *almost* complaint was the ending. Had I not known this was the first of a series, I would have been pretty peeved, but now I'm just anxious for the sequel. The Dead Tossed Waves just came out in March and is actually in my library pile - score!

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

*WARNING! SPOILER ALERT*

I don't normally post spoilers, but because I am having great difficulty with this review, I decided to make it an all-out gush fest and share with you just what I loved about Catching Fire. If you haven't read it yet, please go to the library/your local bookstore/amazon and get a copy NOW! (After reading The Hunger Games first, of course.)

Now that you've been warned, it's time for the gush fest.

Except I don't even know where to begin!

1. The scene where Katniss thanks the people of District 11 and the entire crowd salutes her brought me to tears. It reminded me of HP6 when the students raise their wands in honor of Dumbledore, and the end of The Return of the King (movie) when the entire kingdom, including the king, bow down to the hobbits. It was such a touching moment that I still think about it all.the.time.
2. Team Peeta. Team Peeta. Team Peeta. I don't not like Gale, but Peeta's love for Katniss is so honest and innocent that I can't even consider rooting for the other team. Plus he's the boy with the bread. And I love me some bread.
3. There are plenty of love triangles out there, but Katniss may be the only girl in the middle I don't want to punch. It's hard enough picking between two guys like Peeta and Gale, but when you add in the fact that Katniss is constantly being forced to fight for her life, you can hardly blame her for having uncertainties. We already know whose team I'm on, but giving Gale (or Peeta for that matter) the cold shoulder isn't exactly easy to do.
4. Dear sweet Cinna. He may not have much to say in the ways of words, but when Katniss appears in his costumes, his voice is heard loud and clear. I felt like I was watching with the rest of Panem when Katniss goes up in flames revealing a feathered bodice in place of her wedding dress. I think I even gasped out loud at that moment.
5. Finnick. Mags. Beetee. Wiress. Even Johanna. The victors who team up with Katniss and Peeta all bring something special to the table. In the beginning I kept thinking to myself that these were too many people to keep track of, but the story would not have been the same without them.
6. Best wow-I-never-saw-that-coming ending EVER! I don't even know what to say, so I'm going to include a favorite quote:
• The bird, the pin, the song, the berries, the watch, the cracker, the dress that burst into flames. I am the mockingjay. The one that survived despite the Capitol's plans. The symbol of the rebellion. 
7. This doesn't really have anything to do with the book, but when I came home practically screaming from the library, Josh took one look at CF and said, "That must be written by the author of The Hunger Games." My heart swelled with pride that he noticed ;)

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Summaries can be found at goodreads, Amazon, and Barnes and Noble.

The Hunger Games was first brought to my attention by the lovely ladies in my online book club. What started as a repeat suggestion from our YA enthusiasts soon turned into a board-wide phenomenon. EVERYONE was reading this book, and they were all raving about it. It wasn't long before it seemed like it was the only book ever being discussed. The Hunger Games has been reviewed on goodreads over 40,000 times with an average rating of 4.56 out of 5. It has received a number of honors and awards including being a USA Today and New York Times Best Seller, and being named one of Publishers Weekly's "Best Books of the Year" in 2008 and The New York Times "Notable Children's Book of 2008".

So why haven't I picked up this book until now? Well, in my defense, I've been on my library's wait list since August. That said, I must admit that I was a bit hesitant to read it. I'm always reluctant to jump on the bandwagon because I'm afraid the book/movie/music/whatever won't live up to the hype and I'll just be underwhelmed. This was not the case with The Hunger Games. Suzanne Collins created a story that sucked me in from page one and left me not wanting, but needing, more. There are many things that define a great book. The ability to keep me up half the night when I'm sick and have to be at work the next morning definitely spells greatness to me. This was the most engrossing story I've read in a while, and it's one that will stay with me for a long time. Now I'm impatiently waiting for the sequel, Catching Fire, from the library. That hold list just won't go down fast enough!

If you haven't picked up The Hunger Games yet, I'd hold out just a little bit longer if I were you. The third and final book of the series, Mockingjay, is scheduled to come out August 24, 2010. If Catching Fire ends anything like the way The Hunger Games did, you'll be better off waiting until you can read all three!!