The Moon Dwellers (Book #1 of the Dwellers Saga)

I received a free copy of The Moon Dwellers, the first book in the Dwellers trilogy, by David Estes in exchange for an honest review. Thanks to the Hunger Games trilogy, I have become a devout fan of dystopian fiction. I definitely feel that The Mood Dwellers belongs in the same category as the Hunger Games, the Razorland trilogy, and other similar novels. It is an action packed, suspenseful page-turner and I enjoyed every minute reading it.

Here is the situation. After a series of events made the earth’s surface inhabitable, humans were forced to go underground and eventually create the Tri-realms: the Sun Realm, the Moon Realm, and the Star Realm.  Seventeen- year-old Adele Rose is in the Pen as part of a life sentence after her parents were arrested and convicted as traitors. When she turns 18, which will be soon, she will be transferred to the “Max” to serve out the rest of her sentence. Her younger sister, Elsey, is currently at an orphanage and her parents have been taken to parts unknown, possibly dead. With the help of her new friends Tawni and Cole, Adele is determined to break out of the Pen and find her family.

One day, while sitting in the courtyard of the Pen, Adele spots Tristan Nailin as he travels past during his tour of the Mood Realm. Tristan is a Sun Dweller and the eldest son of President Nailin who rules the Tri-Realms. Tristan is a celebrity within the Tri-realms and most girls would do anything just to be in his presence. Adele, however, has never been enticed by his status or his good looks. To her, Tristan is just a spoil Sun dweller that lives a life of luxury in the Sun Realm while the Moon and Star dwellers suffer a life of poverty and hardship. When Tristan and Adele make eye contact, however, they experience intense headaches for reasons unknown. Tristan detests his father, the Sun Realm, and his celebrity status. Curious about his intense attraction to Adele (but, not in the “love-at-first-sight” kind of way) and the intense pain that he experiences in her presence and desperate to get away from his father and the Sun Realm, Tristan decides to go on a journey, with his friend and servant Roc, to the Moon Realm to find Adele.  And to top off everything, a war begins to brew within the Tri-Realms. The story is told in the alternating points of view of Adele and Tristan.

All the characters in this book are three dimensional with strong personalities, especially the main characters Adele and Tristan. There are no shallow characters; actually those types of people are severely frowned upon by Adele, Tristan and their friends. I think my favorite character was Cole. He is a really intense, mysterious man who is quick tempered but just as quickly comical and forgiving. He is also very protective and is a good judge of character. Although he is very curious about her, he seems to trust Adele and want to help her quite quickly. In turn, Cole’s sarcastic nature helps to break the ice that has formed around Adele over her 6 months in the Pen. Adele is quickly drawn to and mirrors Cole’s humor. There are a few interactions between them that had me laughing out loud. As a matter of fact, a good amount of sarcasm and comic relief can be found throughout the book, even within the thoughts of Adele and Tristan.

For the action fans out there, you will definitely not be disappointed with this book. There are plenty of battle scenes that include swords, whips, guns, and Tasers. But the most intriguing one are the old fashioned, hand to hand battles where there is taunting and the participants circle each other before engaging.  And despite the obvious separation of classes (Sun dwellers being the upper class, Moon being the middle and Star being the lower) and the dictatorship society (although, Tristan mentions many times how his father wants to be referred to as President rather than King…you know, to give the illusion of a democracy when there clearly isn't one…classic dystopian), there still remains a sense of fair play in battle, at least on occasion. For example, in the Pen, when a fight breaks out between two prisoners (or “guests” as the guards ironically call them), even if one of the prisoners has a group of friends or is a part of a gang, no one is to interfere with the battle.

I would have to agree with one reviewer who questioned the characters’ ability to heal quickly. I don’t feel it is in the sense that one minute the character is badly injured and the next they’re 100% better. It’s more like at one point the character is injured to the point of needing medical attention and a scene or two later, the injury is kind of an after-thought as the character gets involved in another life threatening situation, performing heroic deeds.   I will take the question even further, however, by asking how in a post-apocalyptic world where people are suffering from poverty can these kids get access to proper medical supplies? For example, not giving too much away, there is a point where Tristan and Roc suffer severe injury in battle and one of the characters (won’t name names to avoid spoilers) is able to hide safely and get food, medical supplies, and mats within a relatively short amount of time. I know this is fiction and the protagonists are supposed to overcome great adversity to accomplish their goals, but most readers would prefer that this be at least somewhat realistic. And this is not to single out Mr. Estes and his writing...this is not the first time I've seen this. It’s not a huge turn off for me, but it is the kind of thing that has my scratching my head a little.

There is one mistake that I found and I wonder if it was purposeful or if I read it wrong (I went back a couple of times to make sure). As I mentioned, the book alternates between the POV of Adele and Tristan and each change in POV is labeled. Not to veer off the topic, but one of the things I loved about this novel is how the POV is changed at just the right moment of suspense. The last time I read such good structuring was in The Help. Anyhow, at one point in the book, Tristan is treading cautiously trying to get past some soldiers. The section ends with Tristan stating “something stabs me in the back.” Again, a good way to end the section before changing to the POV of Adele. However, in the next section, we find out that Tristan was actually hit in the jaw (again, no major spoilers). This left me scratching my head and going back and rereading Tristan’s section again. How can he say something stabbed him in the back, when he was obviously hit in the face? Am I missing something here?

For those romantics out there like myself, there is a bit of romance. Now, I haven’t read too many male authors, at least not many current one, so I can’t speak from vast experience; however, I will admit that I was a little surprised by the romantic angle, even if it is subdued compared to other books I've read in this genre. What surprised me was that it was brought in so early on in the book, kind of giving the impression that this is going to be the central theme that drives the novel. That feeling is immediately squashed, however, as Mr. Estes makes it clear that this isn’t going to be a mushy, lovey-dovey type of romance. Adele and Tristan both state that their pull towards each other is not the “love-at-first-sight” type of attraction, but one that is more obscure and that cannot be clearly labeled.  So if you’re looking for something that is obviously sappy, full of hugs, hand-holding, and kisses, then I suggest looking elsewhere. That type of stuff is not of abundance in the book and I seriously doubt that the rest of the story will be much different. I actually have a couple of theories about Adele and Tristan’s connection, but I can’t go into them without spoilers.

To sum it up, I highly recommend this novel to any fan of dystopian fiction, or even those who just read the description and find themselves curious. I doubt anyone who gives it a chance will be disappointed. I can’t wait to read the last two books in the series to see how things turn out for Adele, Tristan, and the Tri-Realm. I actually enjoyed Mr. Estes’s writing style so much that I purchased the first book of his Evolution trilogy, Angel Evolution ($0.99 on smashword.com) as it seems to be a part of another one of my favorite YA genres, the supernatural. 

Before I fall... by Lauren Oliver

Before I fall is the second book I've read by Lauren Oliver and it was actually her first book. Nine times out of 10 your first book is never your best work, and that definitely applies here. Oliver's writing style remains the same giving the novel many good points and I was definitely engrossed in the story. So I will not say that I absolutely disliked the book. However, compared to Delirium, this novel was lacking.

To quote other reviewers of this book, it's the movie Groundhog Day meets the movie Mean Girls. The plot is simple. The narrator, Samantha (Sam) Kingston, a pretty, popular girl, gets into a car accident with her friends after a party one night. Then, she wake up and relives the same day all over again. She relives this same day several time with different occurrences and realizations each time. Growing bored with reliving this day, she is desperate to do whatever is needed to break this cycle.

My problem with this book is the narrator. Sam is a completely shallow, narcissistic, self-absorbed teenager. She believes that she and her friends rule her school because they're beautiful, popular, and everyone wants to be them...well the majority of them. Oliver attempts to elicit sympathy by constantly stating the fact that Sam was once a nerdy outcast. However, I don't feel that this warrants sympathy. To me, it is all the more reason that she should be a little more compassionate and not be so quick to judge those who are different or "lesser" than her. Her treatment of Kent is a good example. She used to be close friends with him when they were younger, when she was a nerdy outcast. Unfortunately, he's now considered a geek at their school. He's obviously in love with Sam, as she obnoxiously admits,  yet Sam treats him terribly and won't  consider dating him because it would be bad for her image. Meanwhile the guy she's currently dating, who is cute, extremely popular and the object of Sam's affection for many years, treated her the same way in the past. She does experience many pangs of guilt as the story progresses and she does learn and grow as a character, so with time she did grow on me. But I definitely had a hard time rooting for her which, considering that she's the protagonist, didn't sit well with me.

What Oliver does accomplish with this novel is show all the layers of the cruel brutal world of high school social classes, the effects of bullying, and that every action has a consequence. Everyone who has experienced high school, and lived to speak of it, knows that high school is tough. Not because of the academic work; that's unfortunately one of the last things people talk about when they relay their high school experience.  High school is tough because of social classes. The pretty, strong, and popular rule the school and frown and belittle those whom are considered beneath them, namely the nerds, geeks, and all those in between. It is only when they grow up that they realize how unfair and meaningless all such judgments are. In this YA novel, we come to learn that Sam is meant to make these realizations sooner rather than later. As she continues to relive this one particular day, it is soon realized that the only way to end this vicious cycle is for Sam to see the error of her ways,  make some important changes and, hopefully, change the ultimate outcome of the day. At the end of each "day", Sam comes away with some realization those closest to her fail to see. In addition, Sam also learns that things are not always as they appear and that people are not always who we believe them to be. Two questions remain throughout the novel: Are her realizations and new actions be enough to end this cycle? What will ultimately happen to Sam? These questions kept me turning pages.

I still believe Oliver to be a good writer. She incorporates enough action and suspense to keep the reader while at the same time teaching valuable lessons about life. Even though I can't entirely root for her, watching Sam struggle, learn the error of her ways and grow as a character is refreshing. It shows that given the chance anyone can change. The factor that she only has this one day to make a difference adds to the suspense and makes the plot fascinating, even though it has been done before. The cast of characters and their personalities and actions are very realistic and believable. So for a first novel, this book was decent. But it's definitely not one of my favorites. I still enjoyed Delirium more and look forward to the final books in that trilogy.

Delirium (Delirium #1) by Lauren Oliver

It's been exactly a month since the last time I posted something. It definitely was not because I hadn't read anything for I've read three books in that time, it's that time kind of got away from me and to be totally honest, for at least one of the books, I was at a loss as to what to say. But I'm back now and so lets get to it.

Delirium by Lauren Oliver was suggested to me on Borders.com because I read Hunger Games. It is similar to Hunger Games in that it is satirical and it has to do with government control (common terms I keep seeing are "dystopia book" or "dystopia novel"). The difference is that in Hunger Games the oppression is a means of punishment as well as power, while in Delirium the citizens are made to believe that the government is not out to control them, but to protect them. Specifically to protect their health.

Summary

In this society, Love (or as they call it amor deliria nervosa) is considered to be a disease. It is believed to be the cause of all illnesses, misery, war, and turmoil in past generations. At some point in the past, the government came up with a cure (referred to from this point on as "the cure"), an injection that is given to teenagers on their eighteenth birthday (any sooner risks complications). If things go well, you'll be cured of amor delira nervosa, go to college, marry a mate out of a group the Government finds fitting for you, have children and live a happy healthy life. If things don't go well, you're considered an "Invaild" and a risk to society and are sent to "the wilds". All children under 18, or "uncureds", are kept from getting deliria by segregating uncured boys from uncured girls and by enforcing a curfew.

Madelena (Lena) is 95 days away from her procedure and cannot wait. Her mother, who was still an "uncured" after receiving "the cure" several times, committed suicide years ago. Her father was considered a "sympathizer" (one who is against the cure) and ran away when she was really young. Since then she has lived with her aunt and cousins. Lena then meets Alex, a confident, mysterious boy who works for the labs, and she begins to experience the beginning signs of amor deliria nervosa. As Lena and Alex get closer, Lena begins to question the world she's always known and wonders if its really as happy and safe as it is made to seem. When Alex unleashes a bombshell that turns Lena's world upside down, she wonders if the government she was taught to trust has actually been deceiving her and the whole society.

My Review

The main thing that I love about this book, pardon the pun, is the concept. So many books, poems, plays, songs and movies have been created over the centuries trying to explain the complicated concept of love. That despite it's downsides, it is the most wonderful feeling in the world. The ultimate aspiration of man kind. In this novel, Lauren Oliver spends hundreds of pages saying how it isn't great at all and can actually be dangerous. The society Ms. Oliver creates is unfathomable to the majority of readers. How can one go through life without feeling any sort of love? Not just romantic love, but platonic love, unconditional love, the love of a parent to a child, of an owner to their pet (there is a scene with a dog that almost made me cry). Ms. Oliver shows us that it is a very dry, boring, and monotone existence. Where parents can't console their children. Where a person can only manage a small weak smile at something happy or funny. Even a long embrace or a kiss longer than a peck is considered dangerous if you're uncured. I think it is this that makes every encounter, every kiss Lena and Alex share more exciting, because it's more than just taboo, it's forbidden.

One thing the struck me was this society's belief that love is the cause of all illness, misery and war in the world. First of all, with the exception of emotional disorders (i.e., depression, bipolar disorder), the majority of illnesses cannot in any way be linked to love without many degrees of separation. Plus, even with emotional disorders and misery, many times they occur from losing love, not having it. So that believe is easily defeated. Second, the majority of wars stem from the exact opposite of love, which is hate. The argument can still be made that love is still the culprit for without love there is no hate. Thus, if you erase love and there will be no more hate. But as we can see by looking at this society, this does not a utopia make. It may appear to be on the surface, but in the absence of love, life is absent. What is the point of being alive if you can't actual live. I'm as serious as they come and even I know that a part of living is occasionally letting your hair down and having fun and enjoying what life offers.

For those "action" people out there, I will admit that this book is a bit slow in the beginning. But Ms. Oliver's writing is so enticing, even poetic at times, that you cannot help but stick it out. The characters are so developed that they are almost three dimensional.  The reader can feel Lena's confusion and disillusionment as she experiences it. How can she go against everything she's ever known? When the rose colored glasses are removed, however, they're fully removed and you witness the harsh realities right along with Lena.  There are a few twists throughout the story, particularly at the very end, which I must say I wasn't completely thrilled with. However, this is the first book of a trilogy, so there is room for a lot of things to happen.

The Hunger Games Book #3: Mockingjay

I finished the third and final book in The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins, Mockingjay, this weekend. I  honestly did not want the series to end. I was that hooked on it. But as with all things, it did come to an end and for a final book it was probably the most action packed out of the three.

Katniss is taken from the arena and brought to District 13. Peeta is taken by the Capitol and District 12 is destroyed. The battle between the Capitol and the districts has begun. Katniss becomes the Mockingjay or spokesperson for the rebels. Will the rebels defeat the Capitol and gain their freedom? Or will the Capitol beat the rebels and punish the leaders of the rebellion?

Katniss and the survivors of District 12 went from one bad situation to another by going to District 13. They don't follow the rules of the Capitol, but they have their own rules that aren't that much better. Every day citizens are stamped with a schedule on their arm detailing where they're supposed to be and at what time. This include eating, sleeping, and bathing. They amount of food given to each person is determined based on age, height and weight. Hoarding food, even a slice of bread, is a punishable offense. The entire district is underground, so they don't get any sunlight or fresh air. But Katniss and the rebels are made to believe that they're better off this way and that it's for the greater good because they're not under the Capitol's rule anymore.

For some reason or other, Katniss always ends up being the TV star, even though, as Haymitch delicately puts it, she's terrible at it. As with the district tours after the first games, she has cameras following her trying to get good shots for propaganda spots, or "propos," to televise over the districts; however this time its to rally the rebels. What's upsetting is that all Plutarch and President Coin (the president of District 13) seem to care about is what "propos" shots they can get out of her. Throughout the series, Katniss always seems to be used as part of someone's "Games". In Hunger Games, Haymitch wanted her to put on good, convincing show to get sponsor for supplies that will help her win the Games, which Katniss did in order to survive to be able to see her sister and Gale again. In Catching Fire, the Capitol wanted her to put on a show to hopefully squash the rebellion, which Katniss only agreed to to save her family and friends. Then she finds out that Haymitch secretly used her and Peeta to start a rebellion that was already in the works. Now District 13 is using her as a means to rally the rebels and get under President Snow's skin. How does this make them any better than the Capitol? Because they don't host any hunger games and send children to their deaths for amusement? But isn't living underground and being forced to follow strict schedules and rules just as bad?

Unfortunately, as much as I liked this book, there was a point when I actually said out loud "are you kidding me?" and I had to put the book down for a little bit. The book, without giving too much away, was basically  building up to one goal, the assassination of President Snow. The reason I made the aforementioned statement was because it was such a good build up until this one particular moment where you're at the edge of your seat hoping that they reach this goal, only to suddenly have a summary of the events and it's nothing like you hoped. Really, all that build up and the resolution was so simple that it can be summarized? I was hoping for something a little more dramatic like the endings to the first two books. There is a dramatic twist at the end which somewhat makes up for the previous summary, but then Suzanne goes into a summary again. The very end I was happy with, but honestly I really expected more from Suzanne. The pace and plot of the book was great until like the last like 3 or 4 chapters. There were still surprises which were great, but I was still somewhat disappointed. I know that since it was the last book of the series everything has to be summed up and resolved at the end, but with all the battling and build up through most of the book, I think there may have been a better way of doing it.

I hear that there is a possibility for a movie based on this series (really, what a shock!). That they're already casting for it. I don't know if they're gonna do all three or just The Hunger Games and I'm not sure if I really want to know until I see the trailers for them on TV. It would kind of be interesting to see how it's portrayed on screen, but I feel the books are descriptive enough that you can create your own visual in your head. That is truly how powerful Suzanne's words are. But if they do film all three, when they get to Mockingjay, I surely hope they do something a little better with the end than what was done in the book. But realistically, knowing how movies are these days, and the factor that Suzanne I believe wrote the screenplay, I surely doubt it.

The Hunger Games Book #2: Catching Fire

Suzanne Collins hooked me with The Hunger Games. Now I read the second book in the trilogy Catching Fire. This book is slower paced and less action packed as the first one, but still good nonetheless. Catching Fire begins pretty much where The Hunger Games left off, so if you plan on reading The Hunger Games or are in the middle of reading it, I must warn that there will be spoilers in this post.

Katniss Everdeen returns to District 12 to a new home as a celebrity after winning "the Games". However, her victory takes a dire turn and could cost her everything. Before leaving for her victory tour, she is visited by President Snow who warns of an uprising in the districts due to her act of defiance at the end of the games and says it's up to her to squash it on the tour. Fail to comply and her family and friends will be killed. Meanwhile, the third "Quarter Quell" or the 75th anniversary of the Hunger Games is approaching and, as with every quarter quell, that means a miserable twist for the tributes. The twist for this quell "as a reminder to the rebels that even the strongest among them cannot overcome the power of the Capitol" is for the tributes to be selected from the victors of previous Games.

Katniss grows as a character in this book. She tries hard to do the right thing by everyone, but has a difficult time figuring out what that is. It seems no matter what she does, she risks hurting or endangering someone. She doesn't want to be a puppet of the Capitol but she also doesn't want her friends and family to die because of her. However, even with her best intentions at heart she winds of screwing things up.

When she went into the Games in the last book she was only looking out for herself, she had no intention on making friends or allies. And this is pretty much how she's gone through life until the Games. She only has one real friend, her hunting partner Gale, who is the only one other than her sister Prim that she expresses her thoughts and fears to. But even with him she's still a bit guarded. However, when she enters the Games this time, she is no longer just out for herself. She wants to rebel against the capitol and protect as many as she can...particularly Peeta.

Ultimately she did what she felt was best for her and to protect her family. But I think if you asked her what was best for her, she wouldn't know the answer, nor would she even really consider it. She would prefer to die if it meant saving everyone else. Before she felt if she died her family would suffer. Now, if she lives she endangers them to even more suffering than if she dies. She also has a difficult time deciding who or what she should trust. Was President Snow telling the truth when he said she had the power to stop the uprising? Should she and her family run away? Should she stay with Gale and fight? Is District 13 really destroyed or is the Capitol covering something up?

There is also a love conflict, even though Katniss says time and time again that she has no time for romance. She's torn between Gale, her best friend and confidant, and Peeta, her fellow victor. Each represents a side in her major conflict. Her romance with Peeta is basically a show for the Capitol. It is important that she and Peeta keep up the romantic angle to convince everyone that they are in love and that love is what fueled her act of defiance at the Games, not rebellion. I find this unfortunate because his love for her is genuine and I think that if she didn't have to keep up this romantic show she'd find that she loves him as well, otherwise she wouldn't spend so much time trying to save his life. I think it's all the fake showcasing that keeps her from realizing her true feelings for him.

Her relationship with Gale is more natural and represents rebellion against the Capitol. She can express her feelings for him however she wants and secretly. She doesn't have to prove her love for him to anyone.  However, for me, from the beginning their relationship felt more like a brother/sister type of a relationship than a romance. She even admits within the first chapter of The Hunger Games that she has never viewed him as more than a friend. I think romantic entanglement between Katniss and Gale will feel weird and unnatural in the end if they actually went for it, at least for her anyway. The interesting thing is that she doesn't seem to truly show her feelings for either one until she's at risk of losing them. It's only then that she realizes how important they are to her and how much she needs them.

We begin to learn just how brutal and powerful the Capitol is in this book. In the previous book, we were mostly told of their cruelty, this time we get a good glimpse of it. District citizens are arrested, publicly beaten, and killed; property is burned; Katniss receives visits from "Peacekeepers" that feels like mob visits. There is no end to the Capitol's tyranny. And Katniss knows that something needs to be done about this before more lives are lost. The question is what and how.