Cathy Reviews: Terminated + Possession

I'm excited today to welcome back yet again my fabulous mother in law Cathy to share with us her thoughts on a couple more of the books she so graciously agreed to read and review for the blog (even though these are both later books in series she's never read). As always, a huge thank you to her for sharing in this blogging experience with me!

TERMINATED
Revivalist #3
Rachel Caine
Urban Fantasy
304 pages
Roc/Penguin
Available now
Source: Finished copy from publisher for review

THE STORY (from Goodreads)
Already addicted to the pharmaceutical drug that keeps her body from decomposing, Bryn has to stop a secretive group of rich and powerful investors from eliminating the existing Returné addicts altogether. To ensure their plan to launch a new, military-grade strain of nanotech, the investors’ undead assassin—who just happens to be the ex-wife of Bryn’s lover Patrick—is on the hunt for anyone that stands in their way.

And while Bryn’s allies aren’t about to go down without a fight, the secret she’s been keeping threatens to put those closest to her in even more danger. Poised to become a monster that her own side—and her own lover—will have to trap and kill, Bryn needs to find the cure to have any hope of preserving the lives of her friends, and her own dwindling humanity…

CATHY'S THOUGHTS
Terminated is the third book in the Revivalist Series, but I have not read the previous two books. If you want a deeper understanding of how the characters came to be in their current circumstances, I'd recommend starting with the first novel, though I will say Ms. Caine does a good job catching us up on the plot even while dropping us into the middle of the continuing saga.
 
Bryn is ex-military, part of an experiment that turned her into "Dead Girl Walking"(her words). She is basically an engineered zombie. This is not usually a genre I read because of all the eating people and things, but Bryn has a lot of heart. She realizes that her humanity is slowly waning, so she and her friends try to find the cure that will stop this from happening to others. 

Ms. Caine has well-developed characters and you can feel their angst as they try to make some moral and ethical decisions. The way in which the characters are written is almost enough make you forget they are zombies and concentrate solely on the storyline.
 

This book has something for everyone: Villains, spies, lots of action and even some romance. While I was reading, I could picture this story as blockbuster action movie as it has all the elements needed for the big screen. I don't want to give anything away but in the end, there are tough decisions, sacrifices and a small twist. Everything you need to keep you turning the pages and leaving you a little sad when the story is over.
 
Rating: 3.5/5

POSSESSION
Greywalker #8
Kat Richardson
Urban Fantasy
368 pages
Available now
Roc/Penguin
Source: Finished copy from publisher for review

THE STORY (from Goodreads)
When a comatose woman suddenly wakes up and starts painting scenes she’s never witnessed, with a skill she’s never had, medical science has no explanation. As more bizarre phenomena manifest, even her doctors start to wonder if the woman may be possessed. Frustrated and frightened, the patient’s sister reluctantly turns to Greywalker Harper Blaine to discover who—or what—is occupying her sister’s body.

As Harper digs into the case of apparent possession, she discovers other patients struck with the same mystifying afflictions and a disturbing connection to one of the most gruesome stories in Washington’s history…

CATHY'S THOUGHTS
Possession is part of the well-established Greywalker series which follows Blaine Harper, a private investigator, as she travels between the normal and the paranormal worlds. This is a stand-alone case, but Ms. Richardson does make the (logical) assumption that we've read the other books in the series and are completely up to date on the characters and backstory. I have to admit this is the first book in the series that I've read, so I naturally felt there could have been a few more details earlier in the story to help me connect sooner.
 
Ms. Richardson does have great character development though, not with just the main characters but also with the many quirky acquaintances she introduces us to who are highly amusing. She also has clearly done in-depth research into the Seattle area, making me want to pack up and visit as soon as possible (except for the weather!). Ms. Richardson's plotline is well-developed and rooted in some true and haunting Seattle mysteries. She had me looking up these murders and murderers online.
 
This book has ghosts, mystery, spies and yes, romance. Because it's a continuing series though, there is a plot thread that is left hanging so as to carry on to the next book. I would recommend at least reading the first book, which I intend to do, to get a fuller picture of how Blaine started on this career path.

Rating: 3.5/5
 
* I found a common thread between these two books. Both had strong and compelling heroines who both just happen to have died and been brought back. Though "dead" they both maintained their humanity and were trying to help those around them, and I really enjoyed that about both books. Hopefully you will enjoy these women as well.
 

 These books were sent to me by the publisher free of charge for the purpose of a review. 

I received no other compensation and the above is my (or in this case, Cathy's) honest opinion.

Possession Series Scavenger Hunt + Giveaway

Today, I'm one of the stops on the Possession series scavenger hunt! I'm glad to welcome author Elana Johnson to my blog today with a guest post about her series. The third and final book, Abandon, hit shelves June 4! Take it away, Elana! 

Okay, so the expanding and building of the Association took up a lot of my energy as I was writing Abandon. We didn’t get to see much of the world in Possession or Surrender, and I knew I needed to show everything in the final book. I also needed to let readers know that the Resistance was not in its youth. That there were people all over the Association who had joined and who had been working, even though their fearless leader, Jag Barque, hadn’t been on-screen directing it all.

Enter the city of Harvest. I needed every city to have a specific function (see yesterday’s scavenger hunt post), and I needed a city that was well advanced down the Resistance trail. A city that I could use as an example of what the world might look like if the Resistance won. That city was Harvest. It’s where one of Jag’s groomed Insiders has taken over, and it’s where Zenn goes to implement a false feed. Something happens there that shakes Zenn’s loyalty—but I don’t want to give too much away! Writing about what happened in Harvest—for both Jag and Zenn—was exciting, and I hope readers will enjoy it too! Today's scavenger hunt can begin here! Somewhere on this map of the Association is the winning city. I've mentioned here in this post, and you can find references to it in all of today's posts. (See complete blog tour here.)

When you know today's scavenger hunt city, enter it in this form for a chance to win one of six Possession series paperback packages and a $50 Amazon gift card! Continue the scavenger hunt at Jeanz Read N Review, where Sandra has an exclusive excerpt from Zenn–and another clue for today's city! As if that weren't enough, there will be a daily winner of Possession series swag! Enter in the Rafflecopter below. a Rafflecopter giveaway If you get lost, you can always go to Elana's blog to find your place. Happy hunting!

Thanks so much Elana! If you've yet to read the Possession series, now is the perfect time to start as Simon & Schuster has dropped the price of Possession, book one, to just $3.99 through June 11th!

Review: Surrender

SURRENDER (Possession #2)
Elana Johnson
Young Adult/Dystopian
480 Pages
Simon Pulse
Available Now
Received from author and CBB Book Promotions for review

THE STORY (from Goodreads)
Forbidden love, intoxicating power, and the terror of control…

Raine has always been a good girl. She lives by the rules in Freedom. After all, they are her father’s rules: He’s the Director. It’s because of him that Raine is willing to use her talent—a power so dangerous, no one else is allowed to know about it. Not even her roommate, Vi.

All of that changes when Raine falls for Gunner. Raine’s got every reason in the world to stay away from Gunn, but she just can’t. Especially when she discovers his connection to Vi’s boyfriend, Zenn. Raine has never known anyone as heavily brainwashed as Vi. Raine’s father expects her to spy on Vi and report back to him. But Raine is beginning to wonder what Vi knows that her father is so anxious to keep hidden, and what might happen if she helps Vi remember it. She’s even starting to suspect Vi’s secrets might involve Freedom’s newest prisoner, the rebel Jag Barque...

MY THOUGHTS
Surrender is a lengthy expedition into a theoretically flawless world, the perceived burden of decision making removed from citizens entirely as their government oversees every aspect of their lives, small or large, to ensure perfection is achieved through the absence of independent thought. Like its predecessor, Surrender can be a chaotic story at times, our time split between protagonists Raine and Gunner as we follow their separate but linked journeys and uncover layer after layer of deceit. We’re given information, as are Gunner and Raine, in tiny fragments, bits and pieces revealed to us quickly before we must file them away and move on with our lead couple, but our collection of precious knowledge slowly but surely starts to paint a terrifying picture, and we can’t help but curl our lips in disgust the more we learn about those in power.

While Gunner and Raine are both interesting and likable characters, they aren’t necessarily what draw us into this grotesque mockery of an ideal world, instead it’s their roles in the resistance that have us rapidly turning the pages. Ms. Johnson has created in Director Hightower a villain in the form of a man; a father whose involvement in his daughter’s life stems not from any semblance of affection, but rather from a keen interest in her powerful talent, and in him, we find our emotional attachment to Gunner and Raine’s story. Typically emotional attachment comes in the form of more positive feelings – the love and support of beloved characters – but in this case, it comes in the form of utter hatred, our tether to him a sharp, pulsating thread of abhorrence that flares and causes a red haze to cloud our vision at every demonstration of his cruelty.

With his every action, our desire to see the resistance succeed grows tenfold, but as it does, we find a nervous anticipation accompanies its growth, our understanding of Director Hightower’s intelligence and his reach within Freedom making us horrifyingly aware of how likely a favorable outcome truly is. Ms. Johnson does a brilliant job of building that tension to an almost unbearable degree, giving us brief moments of happiness only to yank them away again as even the strongest of minds proves it can only withstand so much tampering before it shuts down. Through it all though we cling to glimpses of resistance we’ve been given, holding out hope that a small collective David will be able to topple one monstrous Goliath.

Though Surrender does have a tendency to be a touch choppy at times, bouncing back and forth between Gunner and Raine as well as between past and present when both characters have flashes of memory, the somewhat splintered nature of the story seems to fit the world itself. Freedom is not a smooth, tranquil city; it’s a thin film of complacency covering a seething underbelly of dissent, and the staccato rhythm of the chapters seems to match that of Gunner, Raine, Vi and Zenn’s lives. There are some momentous revelations in the final chapters, ensuring our need for the third and final book is at an all time high when we close the back cover, and I have already begun the countdown to June 2013 when I’ll finally get to see how all the pieces fit together.

Rating: 4/5

Candace over at CBB Book Promotions has organized a fantastic tour for the first two books in Elana Johnson's YA dystopian series, and Elana herself is offering up not one, but THREE, amazing giveaways to those who are following the tour. Below are the Rafflecopter forms for each of the giveaways:) Be sure and check out all the other fabulous stops on the tour HERE and you can find more information on Elana and her books on the these sites:

Blog
Facebook
Twitter
Buy Surrender on Amazon


a Rafflecopter giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Interview: Elana Johnson + Possession

Today I'm enormously excited to welcome Elana Johnson to the blog! She's absolutely hilarious and has been fully embracing my snarky comments to her on Twitter, something that has completely endeared her to me. She also happens to be the author of Possession, a fascinating young adult dystopian novel releasing June 7th from Simon and Schuster. I was lucky enough to receive an ARC courtesy of the Cornucopia of Dsytopia Blog Tour (you can read my review HERE) and Elana was nice enough to answer some questions for me. Hope you all enjoy the interview!

Vi has the unique ability to think something and have it happen in reality. If you possessed this talent, what might be the first thing you would think into happening?

Oh, going straight for the hard questions, I see. Uh… how about getting rid of the laundry? Not necessarily that there wouldn’t be laundry, just that someone else would wash, dry, fold, and put it away. And dishes! And mopping. Okay, pretty much every household chore. Which I now realize this is what maids do. #jeez #Iobviouslyneedamaid

Possession features a lot of new and interesting technologies, what one technological creation of yours do you most wish we had now? Personally, I would want the device that produces any food I ask it to–endless supply of chocolate!

Seriously. That’s a great one. For me, there’s nothing I hate more than driving. Time wasted, every single day. So I’d love to have a teleporter in my living room. “Quick kids! It’s time for dance!” Right into the teleporter; no interrupted writing time. That would be bliss.

Jag is a pretty swoon-worthy guy who will no doubt have readers scanning the pages for a mention of his name, what one young adult male hero has recently made you swoon?

Dude, there’s so many! I really like Liam in Lisa & Laura Roecker’s THE LIAR SOCIETY. I enjoy Will in Sophie Jordan’s FIRELIGHT. I love me some Ky in Ally Condie’s MATCHED. I adore Catcher in Carrie Ryan’s THE DARK AND HOLLOW PLACES. And Peeta from THE HUNGER GAMES trilogy is brilliant. I was Team Gale for a while, but that third book really helped me switch camps.

*PEETA! Sorry, got a little enthusiastic at the mention of his name and felt the need to interrupt the interview and express my enthusiasm in the form of all caps:)

Your characters have some interesting names: Jag, Zenn, Thane. Did you have names floating around in your head first, or did you have the character description and personality worked out before you thought of a name to fit?

I always have a name first. And my names are just sort of what they are. I’ve had people tell me to change some in the past. I hardly ever do. And, uh, I usually don’t have a character description and/or personality worked out until the entire first draft is written. No lie. So names come first.

The end of this story is left fairly open, do you tend to gravitate toward books where your mind can fill in the blanks however you choose, or do you sometimes like things to be wrapped up neatly?

I’m a huge (read: HUGE) fan of endings like The Giver, where the reader can decide for themselves how things ended up. Where they can fill in the blanks. It makes reading a much more interactive experience for me.

If Jag was asked what he found most appealing or impressive about Vi, what might he say? Vi about Jag?

Holy delving deep, Batman! Okay, Jag would say that he was, and continues to be, instantly drawn to Vi’s strength. When she walks into that courtroom the first time with her head held high and talking back to the Greenies? Yeah, that’s a real turn-on for Jag.

As for Vi, well, we get to see and hear all the stuff that she likes about Jag. But maybe the most appealing thing about him is his gentleness, whether she recognizes it or not. The way he handles her like she’s precious, that she could break and there’s no way he’s going to be the one to do it.

Is there any one part of the writing/publishing/marketing process you found to be more difficult than you expected? Easier?

Can you say “emotional rollercoaster”? That, by far, is the hardest part of publishing. The highs are higher than anything you’ve experienced. The lows are so low you can’t see the bottom of them. And you can experience a high at 3:01:06 and a low at 3:01:06:05, getting jerked up and down and sideways. At the end of every day, I feel wrung out emotionally. It happens when I write. During querying. During editing. During submission. During promotion. During every aspect of the publishing process. That’s why I have to unplug from twitter, blogs, and Facebook one day out of every seven. I just can’t take the emotional intensity. Aaaand, now you all know my freakish lameness. I swear I’m in therapy. It’s called email. Ha!

Thank you so much for being here today Elana! If you are interested in learning more about Elana and Possession, you can find more information below, and don't forget to add June 7th to your calendar so you can pick this one up on release day!

Elana's Website
Elana's Blog
Elana on Twitter
Possession Official Website
Possession on Facebook

Review: Possession

POSSESSION
Elana Johnson
Young Adult/Dystopian
416 pages
Simon & Schuster
Available June 7th
Received for review as part of the Cornucopia of Dsytopia Blog Tour

THE STORY
In Vi's world independent thought is discouraged. People think what they are told to think, plugged into daily transmissions from the governing bodies, their minds controlled by those who have the unique ability to influence those around them. But Vi has never been one to dutifully do as she's told.

Arrested for being with her best friend Zenn, a boy, after dark, she's taken to court and banished to the Badlands never to return. While awaiting her transfer, she's placed in a holding cell with Jag, a young man from the Badlands caught distributing illegal technology when he stole across the border between their territories.

In spending forced time with Jag, Vi begins to realize the "baddies" as they're called aren't really bad at all, and they seem to have more freedom than she's ever been granted. When she and Jag escape and go on the run, not only does she learn more about the Badlands, but she discovers she might have an important role to play in a building resistance against the Thinkers and those who would rule through absolute forced control.

MY THOUGHTS
In the world of Possession, utter complacency and total compliance are a result of those in power having the ability to exert an incredible level of mental control over the masses, operating under the questionable belief that a society of productive drones is better and stronger than one consisting of those would exercise their free will. Such a world makes us wonder if our own minds would be strong enough to resist as Vi's is, and if we answer yes, we then must ask ourselves if our backbones would be made of equally substantial material. Would our spines stay rigid and unyielding against a controlling force, or would we crumble under the sheer power of individuals like those depicted in this tale? Possession is a fascinating read, one of resistance versus submission, family versus family, and individual choice versus societal obligation, and we eagerly travel along with Vi as she shields her mind from outside influence and allows herself to think freely.

One of the more impressive aspects of this story is a stunning array of well-developed and entertaining characters, their thoughts and actions anchoring us in a foreign environment and wrapping us in the familiar blanket of human emotion amidst a future we do not want to imagine possible. Vi is a fighter, someone not content to simply follow rules that would mold her into someone she doesn't recognize, and whose smart, sassy mouth reflects a sharp mind and independent nature. Jag is a character of particular interest, his confidence in his status as a "baddie" and the ease with which he approaches his flouting of the "goodie" rules and regulations instantly appealing. We can't help but gravitate toward someone who knows exactly where his true allegiance lies and is perfectly comfortable with the actions he must take to ensure he helps his cause in whatever capacity he can. Their attraction to one another, though a bit hurried, is understandable given the context of their surroundings and current predicament, and their complex interactions have the potential to make them a romantic pair we remember for quite some time.

Though Ms. Johnson's characterization is beautifully executed and her writing style easy to read and enthralling, the plot is sometimes a bit difficult to follow. Events happen in rapid succession, and Vi and Jag's multiple escapes and subsequent repeat captures are often accompanied by the use of complicated technologies as well as cryptic remarks from those apprehending them. It becomes clear to us that Vi has a purpose, something unique to offer both the Thinkers and the resistance, but it sometimes feels as though we're swimming through muddy and tumultuous waters as we progress deeper into the story–just when a few pieces of information make things a bit clearer, a new wave crashes down on us, sweeping that clarity away and replacing it with murky truths, uncertain allegiances, and numerous questions.

The ending is left fairly open, not so much as to be tear-your-hair-out frustrating, but definitely enough to have us hoping there will be a second installment where we can revisit a world that, despite it's complex and sometimes confusing nature, houses characters who have become important to us. Ms. Johnson is certainly an author I will be following closely, anxiously awaiting whatever tale she might weave next.

Rating: 3.5/5

In My Mailbox #25

In My Mailbox was created by Kristi over at The Story Siren and is a great way to see what other bloggers are reading and reviewing. I always love seeing what everyone else got for their week!



FOR REVIEW:

POSSESSION by Elana Johnson (from Goodreads):
Vi knows the Rule: Girls don't walk with boys, and they never even think about kissing them. But no one makes Vi want to break the Rules more than Zenn...and since the Thinkers have chosen him as Vi's future match, how much trouble can one kiss cause? The Thinkers may have brainwashed the rest of the population, but Vi is determined to think for herself.

But the Thinkers are unusually persuasive, and they're set on convincing Vi to become one of them...starting by brainwashing Zenn. Vi can't leave Zenn in the Thinkers' hands, but she's wary of joining the rebellion, especially since that means teaming up with Jag. Jag is egotistical, charismatic, and dangerous--everything Zenn's not. Vi can't quite trust Jag and can't quite resist him, but she also can't give up on Zenn.

This is a game of control or be controlled. And Vi has no choice but to play.

HUNTRESS by Melinda Lo (from Goodreads)
Nature is out of balance in the human world. The sun hasn't shone in years, and crops are failing. Worse yet, strange and hostile creatures have begun to appear. The people's survival hangs in the balance.

To solve the crisis, the oracle stones are cast, and Kaede and Taisin, two seventeen-year-old girls, are picked to go on a dangerous and unheard-of journey to Tanlili, the city of the Fairy Queen. Taisin is a sage, thrumming with magic, and Kaede is of the earth, without a speck of the otherworldly. And yet the two girls' destinies are drawn together during the mission. As members of their party succumb to unearthly attacks and fairy tricks, the two come to rely on each other and even begin to fall in love. But the Kingdom needs only one huntress to save it, and what it takes could tear Kaede and Taisin apart forever.

The exciting adventure prequel to Malinda Lo's highly acclaimed novel Ash is overflowing with lush Chinese influences and details inspired by the I Ching, and is filled with action and romance.

THOSE WHO FIGHT MONSTERS edited by Justin Gustainis
Those Who Fight Monsters: Tales of Occult Detectives, is your one-stop-shop for Urban Fantasy’s finest anthology of the supernatural. 14 sleuths are gathered together for the first time in all-original tales of unusual cases which require services that go far beyond mere deduction!

Meet the Detectives:

Danny Hendrickson - from Laura Anne Gilman's Cosa Nostradamus series.
Kate Connor - from Julie Kenner’s Demon Hunting Soccer Mom series.
John Taylor - from Simon R. Green’s Nightside series.
Jill Kismet - from Lilith Saintcrow’s Jill Kismet series.
Jessi Hardin - from Carrie Vaughn’s Kitty Norville series.
Quincey Morris - from Justin Gustainis’ Morris/Chastain Investigations series.
Marla Mason - from T. A. Pratt's Marla Mason series.
Tony Foster - from Tanya Huff’s Smoke and Shadows series.
Dawn Madison - from Chris Marie Green’s Vampire Babylon series.
Pete Caldecott - from Caitlin Kittredge’s Black London series.
Tony Giodone - from C. T. Adams and Cathy Clamp’s Tales of the Sazi series.
Jezebel - from Jackie Kessler’s Hell on Earth series.
Piers Knight - from C. J. Henderson’s Brooklyn Knight series.
Cassiel - from Rachel Caine’s Outcast Season series.

Thanks so much to Cornucopia of Dystopia, Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, and Justin Gustainis for sending me books this week!

Teaser Tuesday: Possession

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading and here's how it works:

Grab your current read
Open to a random page
Share a snippet from somewhere on that page but be careful not to include spoilers

My teaser today is from Possession by Elana Johnson:

If we weren't on the run for our lives, if I wasn't tagged and worried about how we were going to get to the Badlands and then all the way to Seaside, I might have been terrified at the thought of kissing him. Slowly, I placed one hand on his chest.

"Freeze!" a woman yelled.

*teaser is from an ARC so quote is therefore subject to change before publication.


POSSESSION (from Goodreads)

Vi knows the Rule: Girls don't walk with boys, and they never even think about kissing them. But no one makes Vi want to break the Rules more than Zenn...and since the Thinkers have chosen him as Vi's future match, how much trouble can one kiss cause? The Thinkers may have brainwashed the rest of the population, but Vi is determined to think for herself.

But the Thinkers are unusually persuasive, and they're set on convincing Vi to become one of them...starting by brainwashing Zenn. Vi can't leave Zenn in the Thinkers' hands, but she's wary of joining the rebellion, especially since that means teaming up with Jag. Jag is egotistical, charismatic, and dangerous--everything Zenn's not. Vi can't quite trust Jag and can't quite resist him, but she also can't give up on Zenn.

This is a game of control or be controlled. And Vi has no choice but to play.