Open Minds by Susan Kaye Quinn

Genre: Dystopian / Sci-Fi
Page Count: 325

GOODREADS SUMMARY:

When everyone reads minds, a secret is a dangerous thing to keep.

Sixteen-year-old Kira Moore is a zero, someone who can’t read thoughts or be read by others. Zeros are outcasts who can’t be trusted, leaving her no chance with Raf, a regular mindreader and the best friend she secretly loves. When she accidentally controls Raf’s mind and nearly kills him, Kira tries to hide her frightening new ability from her family and an increasingly suspicious Raf. But lies tangle around her, and she’s dragged deep into a hidden world of mindjackers, where having to mind control everyone she loves is just the beginning of the deadly choices before her.

I saw this on the Kindle Store and bought it right after reading the summary.  I loved the idea and as I began getting further and further into the story, I loved how it played out.  This story is not one of those typical Hunger-Games-Look-Alike, it's fresh and exciting.

THE MAIN CHARACTER:

Kira was a fun character to follow.  Since she can't read minds, she's discriminated against a lot in her school, so even within the first chapter, I felt for her and the hardships she deals with everyday.  She definitely developed through the story as more and more obstacles were thrown at her.

THE PLOT:

You may think the beginning is a little slow, but as soon as you get past those first couple chapters it's non-stop action and suspense and drama.  I loved it!  

The plot twisted in ways I didn't see coming at all and I loved how I never knew what was going to happen in the next chapter - it makes it so much fun to read!

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I strongly recommend this book to sci-fi lovers, dystopian lovers, and really anybody who has an e-reader (it's only $2.99!)

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Cinder by Marissa Meyer

The author of this book was touring in my area, so I picked up this book to read.  By looking at the summary, I was unsure whether or not to read this book; it's not the kind of book I would usually read.  There are tons of good reviews for this book though; so I picked it up.

This book completely exceeded my expectations!

I finished this book in less than 24 hours.  It was fast-paced -- there were barely any slow spots.  I loved the characters and the book is not exactly like the fairytale Cinderella like I was expecting -- it's actually quite different, which makes it really enjoyable and intriguing to read!
I recommend this to fans of YA sci-fi and fantasy.

Summary (from GoodReads):
Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl. . . . 

Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.

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~thespectacularbookworm

Unravel Me by Tahereh Mafi

This is the second book in the Shatter Me series.  To see my review of the first, click here.

First off, I absolutely love Tahereh Mafi's Shatter Me series.  Her writing style is phenomenal!  There are so many interesting metaphors in this book, just like with the first.  This book is very fast-paced and I loved delving deeper into the world Juliette lives in!  There was also a lot of character development in this one and it was overall everything I was expecting and more.

If you like YA and/or dystopian fiction, you will not be disappointed in this series.

Summary (from GoodReads):

tick
tick
tick
tick
tick
it's almost
time for war.

Juliette has escaped to Omega Point. It is a place for people like her—people with gifts—and it is also the headquarters of the rebel resistance.

She's finally free from The Reestablishment, free from their plan to use her as a weapon, and free to love Adam. But Juliette will never be free from her lethal touch.

Or from Warner, who wants Juliette more than she ever thought possible.

In this exhilarating sequel to Shatter Me, Juliette has to make life-changing decisions between what she wants and what she thinks is right. Decisions that might involve choosing between her heart—and Adam's life.

~~~

~thespectacularbookworm

The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness

I really, really liked this book. At first I was unsure of it, but by the end I was dying for the sequel. The plotline is very original, and I loved the main characters Todd and Viola--you didn't really see into them at first, you didn't really know their story, but you soon learn more about them and I liked how the author did that. He kept you on the edge of your seat--this book is really fast-paced and it's just a really good dark dystopian fiction. I recommend it to fans of The Hunger Games, or if you want to get hooked on another YA series!

Summary (from GoodReads):
Prentisstown isn't like other towns. Everyone can hear everyone else's thoughts in an overwhelming, never-ending stream of Noise. Just a month away from the birthday that will make him a man, Todd and his dog, Manchee -- whose thoughts Todd can hear too, whether he wants to or not -- stumble upon an area of complete silence. They find that in a town where privacy is impossible, something terrible has been hidden -- a secret so awful that Todd and Manchee must run for their lives.

But how do you escape when your pursuers can hear your every thought?

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This book was a great way to start the year! 
Hopefully, 2013 will be full of spectacular books.

~thespectacularbookworm

The House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer

This book was interesting. It's set in a dystopian world, and follows the life of the clone of the big and powerful Matteo Alacrán, who goes by the name El Patrón. It demonstrated a lot of social issues and while reading, you can't stop rooting for the main character.  I recommend this for fans of dystopian fiction.

Summary (from GoodReads):
At his coming-of-age party, Matteo Alacrán asks El Patrón's bodyguard, "How old am I? ... I know I don't have a birthday like humans, but I was born." 

"You were harvested," Tam Lin reminds him. "You were grown in that poor cow for nine months and then you were cut out of her." 

To most people around him, Matt is not a boy, but a beast. But for El Patrón, lord of a country called Opium--a strip of poppy field lying between the U.S. and what was once called Mexico--Matt is a guarantee of eternal life. El Patrón loves Matt as he loves himself, for Matt is himself. They share identical DNA. 

As Matt struggles to understand his existence, he is threatened by a sinister, grasping cast of characters, including El Patrón's power-hungry family. He is surrounded by a dangerous army of bodyguards and by the mindless slaves of Opium, brain-deadened 'eejits' who toil in the poppy fields. 

Escape from the Alacrán Estate is no guarantee of freedom because Matt is marked by his difference in ways he doesn't even suspect. Around every turn in this vivid, futuristic adventure is a new, heart-stopping surprise.

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~thespectacularbookworm

Insurgent by Veronica Roth

*CAUTION: This book is a sequel, so the summary may contain spoilers. Take a look at the first book in the series here.

THIS BOOK WAS THRILLING. It kept me on the edge of my seat, and may I just say, it was a perfect sequel to Divergent.  If you liked (or in my case, loved) Divergent, you'll love Insurgent as well.

Summary (from GoodReads):

One choice can transform you—or it can destroy you. But every choice has consequences, and as unrest surges in the factions all around her, Tris Prior must continue trying to save those she loves—and herself—while grappling with haunting questions of grief and forgiveness, identity and loyalty, politics and love.

Tris's initiation day should have been marked by celebration and victory with her chosen faction; instead, the day ended with unspeakable horrors. War now looms as conflict between the factions and their ideologies grows. And in times of war, sides must be chosen, secrets will emerge, and choices will become even more irrevocable—and even more powerful. Transformed by her own decisions but also by haunting grief and guilt, radical new discoveries, and shifting relationships, Tris must fully embrace her Divergence, even if she does not know what she may lose by doing so.

New York Times bestselling author Veronica Roth's much-anticipated second book of the dystopian Divergent series is another intoxicating thrill ride of a story, rich with hallmark twists, heartbreaks, romance, and powerful insights about human nature.

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The Trilogy
BOOK ONE: DIVERGENT
BOOK TWO: INSURGENT
BOOK THREE: NO NAME YET
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Hope you like it! :)

~thespectacularbookworm

Delirium by Lauren Oliver

First of all, let me just say, this book is AMAZING.  The word choice is perfect, and the story is just... fantastic.  Words can't really describe how good this book was.  And the ending was shocking and heart-wrenching... The whole book was just amazing. I definitely recommend this to anyone who likes dystopian fiction, romance, or young adult fiction. :)

Summary (From GoodReads):

Before scientists found the cure, people thought love was a good thing. They didn’t understand that once love -- the deliria -- blooms in your blood, there is no escaping its hold. Things are different now. Scientists are able to eradicate love, and the government demands that all citizens receive the cure upon turning eighteen. Lena Holoway has always looked forward to the day when she’ll be cured. A life without love is a life without pain: safe, measured, predictable, and happy.

But with ninety-five days left until her treatment, Lena does the unthinkable: She falls in love.

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The Trilogy:

BOOK ONE: Delirium

BOOK TWO: Pandemonium

BOOK THREE: Requiem COMING OUT IN FEBRUARY 2013

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For more information, visit the author's website.

~thespectacularbookworm



Divergent by Veronica Roth

This is the best book I've read in a long time!  If you like dystopian fiction novels, (like the Hunger Games) you'll like this one!  I read this [486 pages] book in only a few days.  Also, if you like a little action, romance, and well, as I already said, dystopian fiction, you'll like, and most likely love, this book!

Summary (From GoodReads): In a future Chicago, 16-year-old Beatrice Prior must choose among five predetermined factions to define her identity for the rest of her life, a decision made more difficult when she discovers that she is an anomaly who does not fit into any one group, and that the society she lives in is not perfect after all.

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The Divergent Trilogy
BOOK 1: Divergent
BOOK 2: Insurgent
BOOK 3: NO NAME YET...


~thespectacularbookworm

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

WARNING!  This is Book 3 in the Hunger Games trilogy.  If you haven't read The Hunger Games or Catching Fire here's a spoiler alert!

This was my least favorite book in the series. The ending just seemed abrupt, not all of the ends tied and the novel just seemed to stop mid-scene.  But I'd still advise reading it if you read the first two books, just to see what happens to Katniss, Peeta, Gale, and the rest of the group. 

Summary:

After being saved by the rebels, Katniss Everdeen is taken to the legendary District 13.  They want her to be their "Mockingjay", basically a spokesperson who people will believe in.  The rebellion is catching fire, and the fight between good and evil begins.

BOOK 1: THE HUNGER GAMES 
BOOK 2: CATCHING FIRE 
BOOK 3: MOCKINGJAY

~thespectacularbookworm

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

WARNING!  This is Book 2 in the Hunger Games series.  If you are looking for Book 1, click here.  Spoiler alert for those who haven't read Book 1!

This is my favorite book in the Hunger Games trilogy.  I would strongly advise reading it, especially if you loved The Hunger Games. And if you haven't read the first one, it's in the making of a movie so you should read it before the movie comes out in early 2012!

Summary (from GoodReads):

Sparks are igniting, flames are spreading and the Capitol wants revenge. 

Against all odds, Katniss has won the Hunger Games. She and fellow District 12 tribute Peeta Mellark are miraculously still alive. Katniss should be relieved, happy even. After all, she has returned to her family and longtime friend, Gale. Yet nothing is the way Katniss wishes it to be. Gale holds her at an icy distance. Peeta has turned his back on her completely. And there are whispers of a rebellion against the Capitol - a rebellion that Katniss and Peeta may have helped create.

Much to her shock, Katniss has fueled an unrest she's afraid she cannot stop. And what scares her even more is that she's not entirely convinced she should try. As time draws near for Katniss and Peeta to visit the districts on the Capitol's cruel Victory Tour, the stakes are higher than ever. If they can't prove, without a shadow of a doubt, that they are lost in their love for each other, the consequences will be horrifying.

In Catching Fire, the second novel of the Hunger Games trilogy, Suzanne Collins continues the story of Katniss Everdeen, testing her more than ever before...and surprising readers at every turn.

BOOK 1: THE HUNGER GAMES 
BOOK 2: CATCHING FIRE 
BOOK 3: MOCKINGJAY

~thespectacularbookworm