Title: The Remedy
Author: Suzanne Young
Narrator(s): Rebekkah Ross
Series: The Program, book #0.5/#3 (prequel)
Length: 9 hrs 45 mins
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
Publication Date: April 21, 2015
Source: audiobook received from publisher
Purchase: Amazon |
Barnes & Noble |
Audible
In a world before The Program…
Quinlan McKee is a closer. Since the age of seven, Quinn has held the responsibility of providing closure to grieving families with a special skill—she can “become” anyone.
Recommended by grief counselors, Quinn is hired by families to take on the short-term role of a deceased loved one between the ages of fifteen and twenty. She’s not an exact copy, of course, but she wears their clothes and changes her hair, studies them through pictures and videos, and soon, Quinn can act like them, smell like them, and be them for all intents and purposes. But to do her job successfully, she can’t get attached.
Now seventeen, Quinn is deft at recreating herself, sometimes confusing her own past with those of the people she’s portrayed. When she’s given her longest assignment, playing the role of Catalina Barnes, Quinn begins to bond with the deceased girl’s boyfriend. But that’s only the beginning of the complications, especially when Quinn finds out the truth about Catalina’s death. And the epidemic it could start.
So, I've gone through a whole gamut of emotions where this series -- and most especially this book -- is concerned. I
loved The Program...it was so different from anything I'd read before. I was a tiny bit disappointed with the follow-up because
The Treatment didn't pack the punch that the first book did, but overall I enjoyed it. And I found myself immensely excited about
The Remedy when it was first announced, then apprehensive as release date loomed, and then almost completely apathetic because I was
so sure I wouldn't love it as much as the previous books, and nowhere near as much as
The Program.
Needless to say, I was wary, though after listening to this prequel to
The Program, I can tell you I really had no reason to be. But I kind of feel like these books
should incite these types of feelings in readers. After all, they're tackling the subjects of teen death and suicide and the programs the government puts in place to subvert these issues. That aspect alone is reason to tread carefully.
The Remedy brought to mind all of the things that I loved so much about
The Program: the secrets and lies, the government involvement, the main character's loss of self, and the emotional manipulation that comes with the territory. But it also gave me a new character to completely agonize over. Where Sloane had her memories taken away from her in
The Program, this prequel gives us a protagonist who has
too many memories swirling away in her head -- a lot of them
not her own -- to the point that she sometimes can't separate her reality from those of the deceased people she's portrayed.
I really enjoyed the pacing and characterization in this novel, especially Quinn's interactions with those she knows from work and with those of her host families. It's creepy in its own right, what she does for a living, but I can also see the value in it. Though I hope our society never resorts to this method of coping because I can also see why outsiders had a hard time with Quinn's presence when she was on assignment.
I'll be honest, I loved this book, but I'm a tad worried about the "sequel" since it'll be an "on-the-run" type book, much like
The Treatment was. I think I prefer the "edging closer to the cliff" setup of Young's first books when it comes to her duologies, over the chase-and-answer sequels. But I could be completely wrong on that front, especially considering what happened in that epilogue. (!)
At any rate, this was another fabulous audiobook from Rebekkah Ross, aka Elizabeth Louise. I listened to this last week and then picked up
Confess almost immediately after, and I couldn't help but notice that the narrators sounded the same. Ya know, I'm not complaining, but I really wish there was a list of narrator pseudonyms somewhere so I knew who I was really getting. Actually, I'd probably listen to even more audiobooks if I knew this info. But I digress. :)
This was a
great prequel. I can't usually say that, especially because I don't usually
like to read prequels. It was also very creepy. Even more so than
The Program. And I can't wait to find out how Quinn's story ties into that one, though I have my theories already. Mostly concerning a certain someone's daughter. Really hope the next book delivers the same
oomph.
GIF it to me straight:
About the author:
Originally from New York, Suzanne Young moved to Arizona to pursue her dream of not freezing to death. She currently resides in Tempe, where she teaches high school English. When not writing obsessively, Suzanne can be found searching her own tragic memories for inspiration.
Suzanne is the author of several books for teens, including THE PROGRAM, A NEED SO BEAUTIFUL, and A WANT SO WICKED.
Find Suzanne:
Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads
Tuesday, August 9, 2016
From an Ember into a Torch: The Book That Inspired My Inner Pyro 🔥🔥🔥
Author: Sabaa Tahir
Narrator(s): Fiona Hardingham, Steve West & Katharine McEwan
Series: An Ember in the Ashes, book #2
Length: 15 hrs 9 mins
Publisher: Razorbill/Listening Library
Publication Date: August 30, 2016
Source: ARC and audio from publisher
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Audible
What is up with the publishing deal for this series? First, it was going to be a stand-alone. Then a second book was announced, and unless I was misinformed, it was to be a duology. Right before I started reading Torch, it was announced that a third book is in the works. Which makes sense, now that I've finished this sequel, but damn, son. I like to know going into a book whether I'm risking a series or not. I mean, I guess I should count myself lucky that neither of the books in the series so far have ended on completely awful cliffhangers, but still.
That said, I did enjoy this sequel a bit more than Ember. There were some predictable developments but there were also jaw-dropping revelations that really ramped up my anticipation and enjoyment overall. The first half plods along, and if I hadn't been listening to the audiobook as well as reading the ARC, I might have set it aside for a bit. But once the journey aspect is more or less over, things really pick up, and I found myself turning the pages faster than the narrators could read for me.
Torch is no less savage than its predecessor, but I felt like it had more tender moments...more instances where you could see people weighing right and wrong and coming out on the side of good more often than not. Creepy villains are still creepy, but you also get a little more insight into them, and I was able to actually see them as human for a change, not just monsters with human faces.
I also felt like I got to know the three main characters a lot better in this installment, even if it was no easier to connect with them than in the first novel. But I think they got to know themselves better in this book, too. They know what they could die for and who they can't live without and they've come to terms with all of the mistakes they've made. And knowing all of that, maybe it's best that I can't connect with them all that well.
The narrators did help with that somewhat, though. Steve West and Fiona Hardingham are the perfect complement to each other, as far as audibook narrators go. And they're kind of my favorites, especially since they narrate one of my favorite (audio)books ever. But then Katharine McEwan was added in as the voice of Helene in this sequel and that just makes the audiobook version of this novel nearly perfect.
I wanted to give this book five stars, especially as it's so rare for a sequel to surpass the first installment. But I subtracted half a star for the slow start. Then added half a star back for the amazing narrators. And the took another half star away because I just wasn't able to connect to the characters the way I'd like, which is a problem I remember having with the first book, too. But the writing is lovely and evocative and brutal, and it's impossible not to visualize the world Sabaa Tahir has created. I know I was hoping for a stand-alone when I set out to read this series, but I am so glad that Laia, Elias, and Helen's stories didn't end with Ember. If you're on the fence about starting these books, know that it is worth all of the pain, brutality and violence to see the beauty in what these characters are trying to do for their people and Empire.
Wednesday, September 23, 2015
{Review} Nameless by Jennifer Jenkins is INTENSE and Not to Be Missed!
Author: Jennifer Jenkins
Series: Nameless, book #1 in a two-book series
Publisher: Month9Books
Publication Date: October 6, 2015
Source: ARC received for review from publisher
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
If I hadn't seen so many other bloggers raving about this book, I never would have requested it. It sounded kind of dystopian/post-apocalyptic, and I'm all but over that subgenre. But that many friends and fellows couldn't be wrong, so I took a chance on Nameless and requested a copy when the Month9 email hit my inbox.
And it was a chance not wasted. Nameless isn't perfect, but it was exhilarating and fun and completely frustrating in the best possible way. Because not only this a book about a world in which everything's gone wrong, one where war is constantly at your doorstep, but it's also a world in which there is magic. It's not in-your-face magic, but it's there nonetheless.
I immediately connected with Zo, who was ready to die for her clan in order to get the intelligence they needed to defeat their enemy. She is equal parts brave and scared, and she knows that her time among the Ram is limited, so she makes every moment count. I felt for her as she was forced to alter her course when her younger sister became a liability. I rooted for her as she was able to overcome her prejudices of the Rams and become friends with Joshua, even if doing so meant one more person she'd have to take into consideration when her mission was at stake. I stood proud with her as she battled every obstacle she was confronted with, even when it was the eventuality of her own death.
And I fell with her -- hard -- for the Ram soldier who showed hints of a conscience. Gryphon may not have immediately trusted Zo, but when she healed the young Ram he was mentoring, she proved her worth to him. Honor meant everything to Gryphon, but when all hell breaks loose, he lets go of his pride and lets his heart be his guide. He proves that he's not just a heartless soldier like the rest of the Ram, and in doing so, he proved his worth to me. Gryphon was at times violent and cold in his endeavors to overcome the shame his father brought before him, but throughout the story, he gets glimpses of why his father might have made the choices he did, and it changes Gryphon for the better.
Both Gryphon and Zo are calculating and so it takes a very long while for anything more to develop between them because of their trust issues, but when it does, watch out. And fair warning, there is another player on the field, but he's more of the she thinks of him like a brother type, so I don't see that developing into much, especially since this is only slated to be a two-book series. But, yeah...I am all about the enemies-turned-lovers story line.
Told from both Zo and Gryphon's perspectives, I can see why so many have been captivated by this story already. Nameless is fast-paced and intense, a story that sticks with you long after you've turned the last page. There were moments when I thought the dialogue or thought processes were a little immature for the characters and the situations they faced, but they were far and few between and compared little with the awesomeness of the overall story. This is one of those times where I wish I'd waited until both books were out so I didn't have to wait for the sequel, especially after that jaw-dropping ending. I can't wait to see what Jennifer Jenkins brings to the table next.
Monday, June 22, 2015
{Audiobook} Review: The Remedy by Suzanne Young
Author: Suzanne Young
Narrator(s): Rebekkah Ross
Series: The Program, book #0.5/#3 (prequel)
Length: 9 hrs 45 mins
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
Publication Date: April 21, 2015
Source: audiobook received from publisher
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Audible
So, I've gone through a whole gamut of emotions where this series -- and most especially this book -- is concerned. I loved The Program...it was so different from anything I'd read before. I was a tiny bit disappointed with the follow-up because The Treatment didn't pack the punch that the first book did, but overall I enjoyed it. And I found myself immensely excited about The Remedy when it was first announced, then apprehensive as release date loomed, and then almost completely apathetic because I was so sure I wouldn't love it as much as the previous books, and nowhere near as much as The Program.
Needless to say, I was wary, though after listening to this prequel to The Program, I can tell you I really had no reason to be. But I kind of feel like these books should incite these types of feelings in readers. After all, they're tackling the subjects of teen death and suicide and the programs the government puts in place to subvert these issues. That aspect alone is reason to tread carefully.
The Remedy brought to mind all of the things that I loved so much about The Program: the secrets and lies, the government involvement, the main character's loss of self, and the emotional manipulation that comes with the territory. But it also gave me a new character to completely agonize over. Where Sloane had her memories taken away from her in The Program, this prequel gives us a protagonist who has too many memories swirling away in her head -- a lot of them not her own -- to the point that she sometimes can't separate her reality from those of the deceased people she's portrayed.
I really enjoyed the pacing and characterization in this novel, especially Quinn's interactions with those she knows from work and with those of her host families. It's creepy in its own right, what she does for a living, but I can also see the value in it. Though I hope our society never resorts to this method of coping because I can also see why outsiders had a hard time with Quinn's presence when she was on assignment.
I'll be honest, I loved this book, but I'm a tad worried about the "sequel" since it'll be an "on-the-run" type book, much like The Treatment was. I think I prefer the "edging closer to the cliff" setup of Young's first books when it comes to her duologies, over the chase-and-answer sequels. But I could be completely wrong on that front, especially considering what happened in that epilogue. (!)
At any rate, this was another fabulous audiobook from Rebekkah Ross, aka Elizabeth Louise. I listened to this last week and then picked up Confess almost immediately after, and I couldn't help but notice that the narrators sounded the same. Ya know, I'm not complaining, but I really wish there was a list of narrator pseudonyms somewhere so I knew who I was really getting. Actually, I'd probably listen to even more audiobooks if I knew this info. But I digress. :)
This was a great prequel. I can't usually say that, especially because I don't usually like to read prequels. It was also very creepy. Even more so than The Program. And I can't wait to find out how Quinn's story ties into that one, though I have my theories already. Mostly concerning a certain someone's daughter. Really hope the next book delivers the same oomph.
Tuesday, April 28, 2015
An Ember in the Ashes Release Day Blitz
Author: Sabaa Tahir
Publisher: Razorbill
Publication Date: April 28, 2015
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Giveaway Details:
Monday, April 20, 2015
Review: An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir
Author: Sabaa Tahir
Series: n/a (at this time, but pleasepleasePLEASE let there be a sequel?!?)
Publisher: Razorbill
Publication Date: April 28, 2015
Source: ARC received from publisher
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
From the moment I started An Ember in the Ashes, I knew how it would end...and I couldn't have cared less. Usually, I hate that kind of predictability in the novels I read, but with this story, it's more about how the characters get there than the actual thing itself. But I must warn you, the path is bloody and violent and no one is left unscathed when all is said and done.
Though the pacing of this story was slow and steady in the beginning, there is never a lack of intensity -- in the characters or in their actions -- and it is far from tedious. It also picks up immensely once the Trials begin. An Ember in the Ashes is a survival story: of one girl's mission to rescue her brother and one boy's quest for his own freedom. Both are pretending to be something they are not in order to achieve their goals, and both may lose their lives in the process. They know the risks and yet, whether they consider themselves brave or not, they undertake the missions they've set for themselves as if they've got nothing left to live for. And maybe they don't.
Laia is not your average brave heroine who will do anything for the people she cares about, which is actually what made her so intriguing to me. She's terrified of her own shadow but because she knows he would do it for her, she embarks on this insane journey to find the Resistance and convince them to help her save her brother. Elias, on the other hand, is the son of the most vile and reprehensible character I've come across in some time, and yet he hates his role in the Empire as a Mask and trained killer. He just wants to be free of those who would make him a murderer.
Their lives could not be more different, and yet Laia and Elias are obviously fated to meet and fall madly in love, right? Except that they don't immediately become each other's world. Their thoughts do linger on the other, but there's not quite room for them in each other's lives yet, especially since Laia's contact in the Resistance is noble and good and quite eye-catching. And Elias's best friend -- and the only female student at Blackcliff -- is in love with him, though Elias pretends he doesn't know this. And even at that, these would-be love affairs are the least of their worries. Still, Laia and Elias are both "an ember in the ashes" in the future of the Empire, and their futures are wrapped up in each other. But if you're worried about a possible love square, or whatever, I'd say save your worry because the focus of this book isn't really on the romance(s).
You've definitely seen some version of this same story around, as this novel gets a little tropey at times. I won't make comparisons and generalizations: I'll leave those up to you. But although I did find a lot of similarities to other recent and very popular young adult novels, I have to say that the writing in this book was just so much more eloquent and haunting than what I'm used to from dystopian-like novels. The prose was fluid and imagery-heavy, and it created a very stunning and terrible picture of what this world was like for all inhabitants. It was one of the most evocative novels I've read in awhile, and it made me angry. Especially when it came to the Commandant and those Trials.
I was quite impressed by this novel. It's gut-wrenching and horrifying and it was definitely hard to read at times. But it also speaks of a future where anyone can rise up against the powers that be and strike out for change. So, in that way, it was kind of hopeful, albeit dismally so. As I said, I expected the ending, so I didn't feel like it was a cliffhanger, though not knowing if there will be a sequel is a bit perplexing. I just have to hope that with all of the hype over this book, the author has more of Laia and Elias's story to tell and that the publisher will get it out into the world.
Thursday, January 8, 2015
{Audiobook} Review: Perfect Ruin by Lauren DeStefano
Author: Lauren DeStefano
Narrator: Laura Knight Keating
Series: The Internment Chronicles, book #1
Length: 9 hrs 4 mins
Publisher: Recorded Books
Publication Date: October 3, 2013
Source: purchased
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Audible
A really long time ago, I read Wither by DeStefano. To this day, I have not finished that trilogy. Which is so sucky of me! Not for lack of wanting too, but I just haven't gotten around to it. When I first saw Perfect Ruin though, I couldn't wait to get my hands on it. Because... Floating Island, how cool is that?
I ended up getting the kindle edition and the audio for super cheap. I listened to the audio, and I have to say the audio was good. I really liked the narrator. She has a nice voice. I probably would have waited longer to listen to this, but I scored an arc for the second installment, so I figured I would push it up my list.
I liked Perfect Ruin. It wasn't amazing, but I liked it. Enough to keep listening to it! lol. I was intrigued by the whole floating island thing. I was kind of hoping for more on that honestly, but there isn't much explanation as to why it's up there. None at all, really, so I'm hoping that we will learn more about all of that in the future books. I think I will skip reading my galley though, so that I can just listen to the audio.
I think my biggest issue with Perfect Ruin, is that the writing comes off a bit amateur. Almost as if, she wrote this before she wrote Wither. Although, I was less of a book snob back when I read that, I'm a bit pickier these days, so maybe it's just me who has changed.
Regardless, it's not a bad story. I think that it had a ton of potential to be better, but I'm hoping the sequels will make up for it. Great ending though, a bit of a cliff hanger but it has me wanting the next book. :)
Tuesday, November 18, 2014
{Audiobook} Review: Unraveled by Gennifer Albin
Author: Gennifer Albin
Narrator(s): Amanda Dolan
Series: Crewel World, book #3
Length: 7 hrs 50 mins
Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.
Publication Date: October 7, 2014
Source: from publisher via Audiobook Jukebox
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Audible
I loved Crewel but I have to admit that my interest in this series has seriously waned as it's progressed. I'd actually liken my enjoyment of this trilogy to that of the Divergent trilogy: where the first book was kind of epic in its uniqueness, the sequel was still pretty good, but the final installment just left me so unsatisfied.
That's not to say that the elements I enjoyed in the previous books weren't still there. I enjoy Albin's writing style. I loved how rebellious her heroine was. And I delighted in how deliciously evil her villain was, even if I still held out hope that he might be redeemed before all was said and done. But I felt like this series had me zig-zagging across the galaxy, when in reality, we were only really dealing with two parallel worlds: Earth and Arras -- or new Earth, as I liked to think of it. And by that, I mean it was kind of all over the place in terms of plot.
The romance, i.e. the love triangle, was pretty much handled in the previous book, I think, so I'm not going to spend too much time on that. I'm in favor of the path it took, but not so much where it ends up, if what I read into that ending is any implication of where it's headed. I listened to this a couple of weeks ago before I got sick, and I remember there was a tender moment/scene, but I believe that's pretty much all Adelice got before war between the rebels and the Guild broke out. I didn't expect this finale to be a romantic book, but still.
Ugh, and the worst part is how rushed that ending felt. Now, I'm a girl who dislikes gift-wrapped happily ever afters, so I appreciate an open ending or one that doesn't necessarily leave me with the warm and fuzzies. But the ending of Unraveled just felt so...pivotal and yet lackluster at the same time. Like, it should have been gut-wrenching, but instead, I just felt kind of numb to it all. Some of it was expected but some of it came out of nowhere, with no explanation and no hope for one. It was as if I were just expected to accept it and move on. Or the characters were expected to, anyway. Either way, it left me kind of bitter over the whole thing.
Amanda Dolan narrated all three books in this series, and I thought she did a decent job portraying Adelice and the fight she had ahead of her. I remember thinking nothing about her performance stood out to me in the previous books, and that's still true, though I do recall really enjoying the smarmy voice she gave to Cormac Patton.
I'm sad that I didn't enjoy this final book more, but I'm not put off reading anything else the author writes because of it. It could have been that I had really high expectations for this finale or the fact that I was hoping for more romance. So, I'm not going to hold those things against the author's future works. Hopefully, I'll find another favorite like Crewel among them.
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starryeyedjen
- I work with numbers by day, and I'm a mommy and avid reader by night. I'm a self-proclaimed Spreadsheet Queen, and I'll read anything you put in front of me. I seriously love all the books! And I adore audiobooks, too!
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