ARC Review: Horde (Razorland #3) by Ann Aguirre

MAJOR SPOILERS for the first two books in the trilogy. Check out my reviews of Enclave & Outpost.

The horde is coming.

Salvation is surrounded, monsters at the gates, and this time, they're not going away. When Deuce, Fade, Stalker and Tegan set out, the odds are against them. But the odds have been stacked against Deuce from the moment she was born. She might not be a Huntress anymore, but she doesn't run. With her knives in hand and her companions at her side, she will not falter, whether fighting for her life or Fade's love.

Ahead, the battle of a lifetime awaits. Freaks are everywhere, attacking settlements, setting up scouts, perimeters, and patrols. There hasn't been a war like this in centuries, and humans have forgotten how to stand and fight. Unless Deuce can lead them.

This time, however, more than the fate of a single enclave or outpost hangs in the balance. This time, Deuce carries the banner for the survival of all humanity.

From Goodreads

Towns falling, people dying, and all Deuce can do is fight on. Not truly a Huntress anymore, but something between that and just a girl, Deuce finds herself with her faithful companions battling the monsters that threaten to take everything. Things are as easy as they once were because now the monsters are evolving, growing smarter, and learning better ways to murder the humans they hunt.

After the sacking of Salvation, Deuce, Fade, Stalker, & Teagan make it to Soldiers Pond with the few survivors of their almost home. Unafraid of fighting for what she wants, Deuce tries to convince the new command that the monsters are gathering their strength for a full-on onslaught and that an army of the people, from all the towns, needs to be raised. She sets out to do just that, all while struggling with Stalker's affections, Fade's retreat into himself. & Teagan's insecurity about her abilities.

Can the girl from below who has fought so hard to get to where she is really pull off the impossible and preserve humanity?

You guys...this is how you should end a series. I will do my best to do this book justice while covering all my bases, but suffice it to say that if you've read the first two you'll enjoy this one as well and if you haven't read the other two, go do that now.

Deuce isn't a typical heroine. I know we all have our preconceived ideas of what that means, but I think she really stands out among the multitude of female protagonists in the genre. She must contend with her emotions, identity, ability, & beliefs that continually clash against one another. Her romantic notions are not as simple as one might expect, they are complex and rooted in her self-worth & self-understanding. Her struggles are the driving force behind the story & carry the narrative along.

Fade, Stalker, & Teagan are wonderful representations of what else is going on in Deuce's world. They each speak to a different part of her & support/encourage her strengths while shoring up her weaknesses. In their own rights they are a steadfast crew battling their own issues for the greater good. There is no room for idle hands and none of these characters are willing to give up what they've all worked so hard to attain.

The new characters introduced in this novel blend well with the story & setting. I found it interesting that each "spokesperson" for their respective territory were reflective of the town itself. Meaning that their personalities & behavior seemed to either stem from or contribute to the way their territories functioned. The territories were also unique because each one posed a specific problem to our intrepid heroine.

I think my favorite part of this book though was the overall tone & action. Knowing that this will be the last one, I wasn't sure whether I should expect easy street conflicts or really demanding, reaching conflicts. I am thrilled to report that Ann Aguirre doesn't let her characters off easily. They fight tooth, claw, & weapon for what they want and to ensure that they do the best they're capable of. There are no holds barred, so brace yourself for some heart-stopping moments of dread. It's not easy, but it was necessary and satisfying.

It sucks that this book doesn't come out until October, but if I can manage it I will definitely be picking up a boxed set to add to my personal library. An uplifting, if fairly gruesome tale, the Razorland saga is not to be missed!

ARC graciously provided by Around the World ARC Tours

April Genreflecting: Hatchet by Gary Paulsen review

ALONE

Thirteen-year-old Brian Robeson is on his way to visit his father when the single-engine plane in which he is flying crashes. Suddenly, Brian finds himself alone in the Canadian wilderness with nothing but a tattered Windbreaker and the hatchet his mother gave him as a present -- and the dreadful secret that has been tearing him apart since his parent's divorce. But now Brian has no time for anger, self pity, or despair -- it will take all his know-how and determination, and more courage than he knew he possessed, to survive.

From Goodreads

This book plays out exactly as described above. While we don't learn a lot of facts about our protagonist throughout the course of the book, we learn more than enough to create an incredibly powerful story. Because of The Secret, that Brian knows & plans to tell his father, his parents are now divorced & living in different countries. While Canada isn't that far away, it is a whole other world with respect to wildlife and survival situations.

When the pilot dies mid-flight, not only does Brian have to try to salvage the flight, he eventually must come to terms with the thought of crash landing somewhere. After that trauma & near-death experience, Brian finds himself on the edge of a lake with nothing but the clothes on his back and the hatchet his mother had just gifted him upon departure.

And so begins the saga that is this book. We follow Brian's movements & habits over a period of time, learning from his mistakes & rooting him on in moments of self-doubt. The writing style is very internal. It feels like we're reading Brian's internal dialogue as he goes about his existence. I really enjoyed how the author didn't go into immense detail about any one thing because it allowed me to picture this book taking place just about anywhere. This in turn gave me a more closely connected feeling with Brian.

As for its qualities as an adventure book, I have to say that this is hands down one of the best ones I've come across. It seems that a lot of times the shorter books tend to pack the biggest wallop with respect to their adventure aspects. A survival story through and through, Hatchet is the example that leads the way for this genre.

We really get the sense of not only a physical journey, but an emotional one as well. Brian has to adapt to his new surroundings and find constructive ways to cope with his situation. This provides endless opportunities for growth & self-development that just really can't be accomplished under normal circumstances. Even better is the fact that you truly have no idea where this will end. Just like in Jump & Trapped, I found myself holding my breath for how the story would end. Adventure books don't always have a happy ending; it's kind of an unspoken rule that sometimes not everyone will make it out, if anyone does at all.

I hope you have had the chance to enjoy this book. If not, I highly recommend it as it is such a quick read! Be sure to check back next week when I review The Devil's Breath as my thriller book & host a mystery giveaway!

April Genreflecting: Adventure/Thrillers: The Details

Based on the Collins English Dictionary, a subgenre is "a category that is a subdivision of a larger genre." (Source) Adventure/thrillers is kind of a catchall category that covers books that are action-packed, very engaging, and usually fast-paced. There is however a subtle difference between Adventure and Thriller. 

Adventure books tend to deal with some sort of journey. Sometimes the character is lost or finds themselves in a survivalist situation while other times they're just out exploring the world. Typically the settings of these books are exotic and not necessarily in just a tropical sense. A lot of the time we get to see a whole other side of nature in these books through the eyes of someone having to experience a natural event or combat a natural disaster.

Thriller books tend to have a component of mystery. It doesn't fall under mystery per se because instead of a problem-solving approach to the action, thrillers use suspense and tension. These books play on the reader's emotions and senses while allowing them to role play the scenario at hand. A lot of spy novels would fall under this category.

Here's what Anthony Horowitz had to say about his inspiration behind the Alex Rider series:

He found solace in boyhood in the escapism of the James Bond films, he says. He claims that his two sons now watch the James Bond films with the same tremendous enjoyment he did at their age. Bond's glamour translates perfectly to the 14-year-old psyche, the author says. "Bond had his cocktails, the car and the clothes. Kids are just as picky. It's got to be the right Nike trainers (sneakers), the right skateboard. And I genuinely think that 14-year-olds are the coolest people on the planet. It's this wonderful, golden age, just on the cusp of manhood when everything seems possible."

From Penguin.com

I think one of the better thriller books I've read recently is Stolen by Lucy Christopher. This book, written in the form of a letter to her captor, follows the events that happen to Gemma after she is kidnapped from an airport. We never really get a complete explanation as to why she was taken & we definitely don't get a pretty ending. Throughout the entire novel you're trying to piece things together & think about what's still to come. It's a fantastic read that doesn't take very long, so if you get a chance you should really think about picking it up.

I hope that helps to break down these two genres. I find myself more attracted to adventure books over thrillers simply because I seem to like survival books. Which one do you prefer? Check back next week for my review of Hatchet!

April Genreflecting: Adventure/Thrillers: The Basics

I wanted to do a reading challenge for the subject of Genreflecting, but I didn't get much feedback (maybe because it asked you to read 2 books for each genre and discuss them or because it's not really a "reading challenge" per se, but more an educational experiment), so I've turned it into a monthly feature! For each month of 2013, there will be a specific genre that will be analyzed. I'm planning to have author input and at least 2 reviews of books in the genre as well.

April's genre is Adventure/Thriller! There’s nothing groundbreaking to say about this specific genre. Adventure and thriller books are pretty much self-explanatory. There is usually danger and, if done correctly, page-turning action. Some people are attracted to the elements of “beating the odds” and “surviving adversity” that abounds in these books. Often times these books can be considered “movie-like” in their fast-paced play out. The beauty of this genre is its flexibility.  Adventure and thriller books can involve anything from wilderness survival, to spys and espionage, to war stories. We’ll get more into the subgenres next week though! (paraphrased from Teen Genreflecting 3, 2010 & Teen Genreflecting 2, 2003)

A few of my favorite authors you may recognize in this genre are:
Anthony Horowitz- Alex Rider series
Roland Smith- Peak
Gary Paulsen- Hatchet
Caroline B. Cooney- The Terrorist

I'm excited to say that I've chosen my two books, one older and one newer, to read for this challenge. The older book is Hatchet by Gary Paulsen (originally published in 1987) and I'll have a review and analysis up on Friday, April 19th. The newer book is The Devil's Breath by David Gilman (originally published in 2008) and I'll have a review and analysis up on Friday, April 26th. I'll also be hosting a giveaway, so stay tuned!

Outpost (Razorland #2) by Ann Aguirre review

Possible spoilers for Enclave. Read at your own risk! :)

What use does a Huntress have for schooling lessons? That's the question that has been plaguing Deuce since she arrived topside. After being allowed to share their harrowing journey, Stalker, Fade, Deuce & Tegan are assimilated into the town of Salvation. Unfortunately for Deuce that means wearing dresses & attending school as she has not yet reached the age of majority in this topside world. To complicate matters further, Tegan has distanced herself from her comrades because she is desperate to fit in & Deuce finds herself torn between a stand-offish Fade & a needy Stalker.

As if all this emotional drama isn't enough, Deuce can't let go of her Huntress roots. She seeks out any chance she can get to keep an eye on the Freak population & becomes increasingly concerned at the new abilities & traits they are portraying. Fortunately she is able to secure a position on the Summer Patrols with Fade & Stalker. This group of "fighters" is supposed to keep the planters safe while they work to grow enough food to last the town through the winter. But the Freaks have other plans.  

An outstanding follow up to Enclave, I found myself engrossed in Outpost. The story picks up not long as we left our protagonists in their new home of Salvation. This isolated town has been rebuilt & fortified to withstand Freak attacks. The God-fearing townsfolk are pleasant when all is well, but tend to get prickly when anyone rocks the boat. Of course Deuce & Stalker are singled out at trouble makers just because they refuse to completely assimilate. They honestly can't help just how different they are from the easy-living townfolk as they have seen some incredibly disturbing things in their short lives.

So we follow Deuce as she lightly treads on the toes of the locals, while struggling with other people's expectations that she doesn't quite comprehend. Most importantly, we get to explore the more emotional side of the Huntress. As life is a touch easier topside, there is more time to think & feel (not to mention it is actually encouraged) so we watch as Deuce begins to explore her feelings & starts to understand that sometimes a simple action or word can have a deeper meaning.

Ann Aguirre's writing style is such that when I start to read, a canvas appears in front of me. I can clearly picture everything that is going on down to simple hand gestures. There's a cadence to the story that allows the reader to ebb & flow between action & more reflective scenes. A perfect balance of brazen & subdued choices, Outpost sets the wheels in motion for an exciting third installment!
Be sure to pick up your copy at the library or bookstore September 4th, 2012!

Enclave (Razorland #1) by Ann Aguirre review

WELCOME TO THE APOCALYPSE

In Deuce’s world, people earn the right to a name only if they survive their first fifteen years. By that point, each unnamed ‘brat’ has trained into one of three groups–Breeders, Builders, or Hunters, identifiable by the number of scars they bear on their arms. Deuce has wanted to be a Huntress for as long as she can remember.

As a Huntress, her purpose is clear—to brave the dangerous tunnels outside the enclave and bring back meat to feed the group while evading ferocious monsters known as Freaks. She’s worked toward this goal her whole life, and nothing’s going to stop her, not even a beautiful, brooding Hunter named Fade. When the mysterious boy becomes her partner, Deuce’s troubles are just beginning.

Down below, deviation from the rules is punished swiftly and harshly, and Fade doesn’t like following orders. At first Deuce thinks he’s crazy, but as death stalks their sanctuary, and it becomes clear the elders don’t always know best, Deuce wonders if Fade might be telling the truth. Her partner confuses her; she’s never known a boy like him before, as prone to touching her gently as using his knives with feral grace.

As Deuce’s perception shifts, so does the balance in the constant battle for survival. The mindless Freaks, once considered a threat only due to their sheer numbers, show signs of cunning and strategy… but the elders refuse to heed any warnings. Despite imminent disaster, the enclave puts their faith in strictures and sacrifice instead. No matter how she tries, Deuce cannot stem the dark tide that carries her far from the only world she’s ever known.

From Goodreads

Deuce, formerly known as Girl 15, has earned her place among her people as a Huntress. With her six scars on her forearms she has gained the recognition that she deserves for the job that she does. As a defender & food hunter for the enclave, one of her main duties is keeping her people safe & fed. But when she receives Fade, a veteran hunter with a dark history, as her partner she's not entirely sure what to think. She figures as long as they follow the enclave's strict rules that all will be well. It doesn't take long for this duo to stray quite far from those rules in the name of doing what's right.

The information they learn, that the Freaks (hideous, former humans that have become feral monsters) have overrun the next closest enclave, should shake up their whole existence. Yet the elders seem to pay the duo no mind & continue to punish them. That is when Deuce's unshakable belief is challenged. Do the elders really know what's right anymore? And do they know more than they are telling the people just so they can remain in control?

This was one roller coaster of a dystopian, adventure story. Set in an underground, near-future world Enclave is everything I've been looking for in a book. The characters are dynamic & engaging & the plot moves rather quickly. I felt like every time I started to get a handle on the situation, something else would change & I would have to reevaluate what I'd learned. Such non-stop action allowed me to enjoy the swiftness of the story without making me feel like I was missing critical information by reading so fast.

The funnest part of the whole book was trying to figure out what items the characters were looking at & where the book takes place. There's a time when Deuce & her friends find a wedding invitation & don't know what to make of it. They take it to the Wordkeeper who reads it to them, but does not elaborate on the meaning of the word. Things like that really give a stark contrast from today's world to the one that Deuce inhabits. I had a tough time placing the setting until very late in the story, but I had fun with the puzzle anyway.

For those who want to read a fast-paced, thrilling ride that offers more depth & challenges your sense of "normal standards," this is the book for you. I blew through it in 2 days & have the second one ready to go for this work week's lunchtime read. :)

Waiting on Wednesday: Outpost (Razorland #2) by Ann Aguirre

Waiting on Wednesday recognizes that we as bookies pine for books. This post is about what I am impatiently waiting for right now. It was started by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

I recently finished reading Enclave & I could kick myself for waiting so long to read such a GREAT book. While my review may be going up tomorrow, today I'm featuring its sequel. It's not really spoilery for the first book, so if you haven't checked out the first book you should be okay.

Deuce’s whole world has changed. Down below, she was considered an adult. Now, topside in a town called Salvation, she’s a brat in need of training in the eyes of the townsfolk. She doesn’t fit in with the other girls: Deuce only knows how to fight.

To make matters worse, her Hunter partner, Fade, keeps Deuce at a distance. Her feelings for Fade haven’t changed, but he seems not to want her around anymore. Confused and lonely, she starts looking for a way out.

Deuce signs up to serve in the summer patrols—those who make sure the planters can work the fields without danger. It should be routine, but things have been changing on the surface, just as they did below ground. The Freaks have grown smarter. They’re watching. Waiting. Planning. The monsters don’t intend to let Salvation survive, and it may take a girl like Deuce to turn back the tide.

From Goodreads

I gotta tell you, I've got this one right now & I want to read it so bad, but I'm being a good blogger & reading another review book first. I absolutely cannot wait to sink my teeth into this continuation of such an amazing story. With such compelling & wide-ranging characters I can't imagine what will happen in this volume.

What are you waiting on this week? 

Waiting on Wednesdayy: Such a Rush by Jennifer Echols

Waiting on Wednesday recognizes that we as bookies pine for books. This post is about what I am impatiently waiting for right now. It was started by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

I can never get enough of Jennifer Echols' books. I have adored every one I have read & eagerly anticipate her next release. I have to admit that Such a Rush due out July 10 doesn't sound too much like most of her other works. While the main character is still a girl & she is still struggling to find herself, I feel that this one will be different. maybe it's the addition of the two brothers fighting over her, but something tells me that this one is going to play out differently than the others. Hopefully that will be in a good way!

High school senior Leah Jones loves nothing more than flying. While she’s in the air, it’s easy to forget life with her absentee mother at the low-rent end of a South Carolina beach town. When her flight instructor, Mr. Hall, hires her to fly for his banner advertising business, she sees it as her ticket out of the trailer park. And when he dies suddenly, she’s afraid her flying career is gone forever.    

But Mr. Hall’s teenage sons, golden boy Alec and adrenaline junkie Grayson, are determined to keep the banner planes flying. Though Leah has crushed on Grayson for years, she’s leery of getting involved in what now seems like a doomed business — until Grayson betrays her by digging up her most damning secret. Holding it over her head, he forces her to fly for secret reasons of his own, reasons involving Alec. Now Leah finds herself drawn into a battle between brothers — and the consequences could be deadly.

From Goodreads 

Even if this wasn't written by Jennifer Echols, I probably still would have picked it up since the premise is one you don't hear of very often. The last book I read about a teenage girl & flying was Flygirl & that's been a ways back. I can't wait to see what she does with that storyline because it can only go up from there.

What are you waiting on this week?

Ruby Red by Kerstin Gier

Gwyneth Sheperd's life has been quite ordinary & she's very thankful for that fact. In a family that passes a time-traveling gene through the women, Gwyneth has counted herself very fortunate to have been skipped & only have the misfortune of seeing ghosts & spirits. Her cousin Charlotte, the one whose birthday Sir Issac Newton himself predicted, has been the one preparing for her first time travel experience. She has taken fencing lessons, riding lessons, learned several languages & spent a great deal of time studying history so as to be prepared for any situation in which she might find herself. But it appears that even the great Sir Newton can be faulted.

It turns out that Gwyneth actually does have the gene & she is therefore extremely ill-prepared when she sudden finds herself in another time period. Now Gwyneth must accept her position in a very secretive society, known as the Guardians, where no one can be trusted & secrets lie around every corner. With a stead-fast side kick doing research on the side & a stunning male companion to help her through her elapses (when she actually does go back in time), Gwyneth is sure to sort things out. At least... she hopes.

Ruby Red was a different kind of time-travel tale. I really enjoyed the historical tidbits spread throughout the book including times, places & people that we rarely think about. Gwyneth is the perfect person for a narrator in this story because as she learns more, we learn more. You can actually put the puzzle together as the story moves forward. There are so many details that one can easily become lost in them, but the beauty is that not every single little thing is important. We experience the thrill of determining if a factoid is important or not with Gwyneth.

Even more fun than exploring these details with Gwyneth, is the descriptive language. I was enamored with the lavish descriptions Gier used for the different time periods, outfits & mannerisms. There are some historical actions/attitudes that cannot be adequately described with modern language. Gier does a wonderful job of choosing just the right verbs or phrases to convey whatever point she wants to get across to the reader.

I must admit that the book took a little while to get going for me & it seems to stop just as the action is picking up, but I think that may be due in part to the translation. There is a lot of backstory to be filled in & characters to be introduced, so the beginning felt a little sluggish, but it was worth it in the end. This book seems to suffer from "stick shift learner," there's some coughing & sputtering when you first start off, but by the end it's smooth sailing.

If you're in the mood for a newer take on a classic storyline, be sure to check out Ruby Red. Anyone else feel this was an awesome time-travel/adventure story?

ARC supplied by Henry Holt & Co. via Shelf Awareness