As & When by Alex Andre

Aileen has been running the “underground” element of Locksville for a while. And while it may not seem like an important job, without her influence chaos would take over and no one would be safe. By keeping things controlled, there is essentially peace. And even those in charge of the city on the more lawful/legal/political side of things recognize that without her and her group controlling the less than legal elements of the population, things would get very bad, very quickly. So when Aileen disappears without explanation (a highly unusual thing), it is up to her second in command, Bo, to find out what has happened to her and to arrange for whatever is needed to bring her home.

This was the second book in a post-apocalyptic/dystopian series called the E Apocrypha. While this book focuses mainly on a different part of the world from the previous book, it does include many of the characters we met in that novel. In this story, we learn quite a bit about Aileen and how she came to be in charge of the underground element of Locksville, as well as why she was kidnapped. Her adventures, as well as those of Bo, the one seeking to find and rescue her, make for a very interesting and entertaining story.

I received and read a review copy of this book and I greatly enjoyed it. I especially enjoyed the references to characters from the first book in the series and learning what happened to them after the conclusion of their story. And while I do believe that readers could probably read this book even without having read the previous one, I think that they will enjoy it much more if they have read the first book. (Without the information from that story, readers may miss some of the reasons why the referenced characters from the first book are still important to know about in this one.)

I believe that anyone who enjoys post-apocalyptic and/or dystopian novels will enjoy this book a great deal. I found the mix of characters who see the usefulness of mechanical equipment and those who feel that such were the cause of the catastrophe that essentially reset the world to a pre-industrial society interesting. And the complexities of those who marvel over what was lost and historical compared to those who seemed to feel that everyone was better off without them also enhances the story. In my opinion, this is a story that is well worth reading, and I am looking forward to reading the third book in this series.

Amazon requires me to state that I have an Amazon Associates account that I use to generate the links to the books on their website. Purchasing something after following those links will earn a few pennies for me off the sale, though as of yet I have not earned anything from my Amazon Associate links.

Sky High by Christy J. Breedlove

Four nearly-adult teenagers have decided to escape from a very restrictive and controlling society that has lived in an extremely tall building ever since the world’s cities were destroyed when a natural disaster caused by climate change destroyed nearly everything. Those living in Sky City have no freedom or real choice in anything about their lives. Resources are limited and everyone works extensively with no ability to simply decide to leave. It is not allowed. When these four escape, City Security is sent to bring them back by any means necessary … whether they want to return or not.

I read a review copy of this story and enjoyed the twists and turns that the plot took. The escape that the four young people chose to make was well thought out.  From the timing of their escape, what to take with them, and where they were attempting to escape to. They knew someone would be sent after them, and so took every possible precaution to keep their escape hidden and hard to track. It was an intelligent and well thought out storyline. I enjoyed the twists and turns that the four young adults and their pursuers encountered along the way. It showed not only why the four escapees were not simply allowed to leave, but that their journey toward freedom was a very difficult one with both expected and unexpected obstacles along the way.

I liked that we saw how and why these four young adults were determined to make their way from an authoritarian society to one that they hoped, but could not be certain, remained more of a democratic republic, despite the difficulties that their current world faced. It showed not just that the freedom to choose the course of their lives is important, but that they were willing to risk everything for the chance to live the type of life they wanted, no matter what it might cost them in the end. And yes, there was a very real possibility that they would die or be killed before they could reach their desired destination, if it still even existed.

The story kept me interested and entertained throughout. There were unexpected occurrences that added another layer to the story. But you'll have to read it yourself if you want to learn whether or not the four  young people manage to find what they were seeking, or if they get caught and dragged back to the city they were fleeing.

If you enjoy young adult post-apocalyptic stories, then I believe you will enjoy this book. It has some interesting twists throughout that I believe readers will enjoy. I know I did.

Amazon requires me to state that I have an Amazon Associates account that I use to generate the links to the books on their website. Purchasing something after following those links will earn a few pennies for me off the sale, though as of yet I have not earned anything from my Amazon Associate links.

The Undoing by A.M. Davila

Shortly before Christmas, the power suddenly goes out, almost all cars stop working, and unlike what might be normal for a power outage, even fully charged electronic devices stop working.  Clearly something more is going on, and as people come to realize that things will not be returning to normal, an expected chaos soon follows.

I read a review copy of this book. I found it to be a very interesting juxtaposition of different characters and their reactions as each begins to realize what is happening. There may not be any explanation or reason given for the extreme power outage taking place, but for this book, I don’t miss the fact that it is not explained. I don’t feel it truly needs one at this point because the story is more about the characters and how they react and deal with the emergency than it is about what caused it. At least so far that appears to be the case. I enjoyed seeing the characters develop and each of their unique personalities shine through in this story. Each has their own personal demons to deal with, but watching them come together and cope with this unknown disaster was heartwarming.

This is the first book in a young adult post-apocalyptic / dystopian series, and it is one that I have enjoyed reading. I will be watching for the next book in this series to be released and am looking forward to seeing what happens next. I think that anyone who enjoys reading young adult stories dealing with what may be a society-ending disaster will enjoy this book, especially if they enjoy character-driven tales that show a great deal of heart and resilience. I know that I enjoyed reading it.

Amazon requires me to state that I have an Amazon Associates account that I use to generate the links to the books on their website. Purchasing something after following those links will earn a few pennies for me off the sale, though as of yet I have not earned anything from my Amazon Associate links.

Mannigan: A speck of Light by L Ross Coulter

Will has just been released from incarceration after a very long time. While he was there, most of his organs had been harvested, and the doctors have told him that he has very little time left. He is bitter and angry with the world, for when his wife was judged not worth the cost of fighting her cancer, she  was left to suffer and die. After that, things fell apart for him and left him with nothing save his anger and bitterness toward the world. That was what had led to his becoming incarcerated in a modern facility, where those who survive long enough to be released rarely live more than a week or two beyond their release, usually dying alone and in a great deal of pain. But the doctor who oversees his final days, believes that he can offer him a chance for something more. A life that won’t end, as a part of a group called Legion.

I received a review copy of this book, and when I began reading this story, I thought it was primarily a dystopian novel, though it also seems to be a bit of a story about humanity. But it does also paint a very bleak future for mankind. Will was a very angry and bitter man, and achieving an inability to die or be killed doesn't seem to change that throughout the book. While he does still possess some kindness, especially towards those who are also suffering for various reasons, he still wants his revenge on those in charge who had allowed his wife to be declared not worth saving, and who had used his body to save others who were deemed worthy without his permission while incarcerated.

I must warn readers that this book does contain a great deal of violence. It paints a very dark picture of the future, and while I don’t want to spoil the ending, from what I can see, the only real sign of hope for the world comes at the end of the book, and even in that moment, I am uncertain as to whether it truly is a hopeful ending or not. And that possibility, I find a bit of a depressing thought, because either possibility is equally possible in my mind. But it is clearly something meant for readers to decide for themselves.

It was interesting, but I’m not entirely sure if anyone actually grew or changed in any positive way or not. I don’t know what we were supposed to learn from what Will went through, though I have a few ideas. I believe that perhaps this book was trying to teach a lesson about what the future may hold that comes with an implied warning about repeating the mistakes others have made rather than learning from them.. And honestly, I think that for me, not being able to decide whether the ending was meant to be positive or negative is what disturbs me the most. I’m not sure if that was the point of the story, but this one just didn’t really resonate with me for some reason, though it has stuck with me. (There is more that I would like to say about the ending, but I am trying to avoid spoilers for those who decide to read this book for themselves. As I said, it does make you think about quite a few things.)

If you’re looking for a book that will truly make you think about the ending, then you will likely enjoy this one. It may paint a somewhat bleak picture for the future, but it also does seem to show that despite everything, hope always survives. For despite all the bad things that happen to quite a few people, most of them still manage to be kind and have hope, even Will.

"Configured" by Jenetta Penner

 Avlyn was preparing for her configuration day. She had spent most of her life just trying to appear average, trying not to stand out. She has never truly fit in with most other people, not even with the couple who had raised her since the time she was determined to be of a level 2 intelligence, rather than the level 1 family she had been born into.

I found this to be an interesting story to read given that our world appears to be in the middle of a pandemic that has the potential to cause as much devastation as the one referred to as having happened in this story's history.

I can easily see many of the things that happened in this book becoming possible if our path were to follow a similar direction and found it quite reasonable for the characters to make the choices they did throughout the story and enjoyed seeing where those choices led them. And I am very much looking forward to seeing where the author will take us in book 2 in this series. This is definitely a good choice for anyone who enjoys reading dystopian fiction.

“The Gender Secret” by Bella Forrest

This was the sequel to “The Gender Game”

Violet has been set up to be used as a pawn by both the Matrian and the Patrian societies. She is being blamed for the murder of the Matrian Queen as well as the attack on the Patrian King. As such, it seems that both societies are now after her and the egg that she had successfully retrieved. Why this egg is so important even she doesn’t know, but it seems that both sides desperately want it and are more than willing to kill her to acquire it.

On top of that, Viggo is left to believe that she has betrayed and tried to kill him as well. So when the Patrian King makes him an offer to go find and retrieve her, is it any surprise that he would agree to join the hunt for the girl he had been falling for?

I really enjoyed reading this book and had a very difficult time putting it down to sleep at night. I have been totally hooked on this series and can’t wait to see where it goes after the end of this book and what we learned within it. (There is definitely much more going on here than first appears, but I won’t spoil that surprise for you.)

“The Gender Game” by Bella Forest

Set in a future where humanity has almost destroyed itself, the people have split into two separate societies. On one side of the river was the Kingdom that was designed and ruled by men. Women who are born in or chose to move to Patrus had no rights. They were little more than the property of their husbands or fathers. Women who broke the law in Patrus, even unintentionally, were often executed by hanging.

On the other side of the river was the Queendom designed and ruled by women. Much of each society was similar, save that in Matrus, it was the men who had no rights. If they failed their testing at the age of 8, boys were sent to the mines and forced into a life of hard labor. Criminals in Matrus were also executed, though they were killed by injection rather than at the end of a rope.

After her brother failed his testing, Violet often found herself in trouble and grew up in “Juvenile Facilities” working off her time in repetitive and mind-numbing tasks. If she could stay out of trouble, she would eventually be reintegrated into Matrus’ society. Unfortunately, trouble always seemed to find her. After her latest infraction, she expected to be killed, but instead was recruited for a task that if successful, would be of great assistance to her country. If she succeeded, she was even promised a reunion with her brother. She simply had to retrieve an item stolen by Patrus that was of great import to Matrus without anyone from Patrus realizing she had been sent from Matrus after it.

This was a very interesting story that has been sitting on my kindle waiting for me to have a chance to read it. I really enjoyed it, and am very curious as to what will happen in the next book in the series. While this one doesn’t exactly end on a cliffhanger, it is near enough to one that I feel almost compelled to continue on immediately with book 2 so that I can find out if Violet is able to be reunited with her brother, or if there is more going on in these two countries than even those living there are aware of. This story was well worth my time to read. I am only sorry I waited so long to get around to it!

"A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing" by S.E. Meyer

Montana Moon has been staying with Lonewolf, the man deemed a wanted criminal that she was supposed to be hunting, But during the course of her stay, she has learned the truth about him and his supposedly criminal actions. He has actually only been trying to help save humanity.

Eating the fresh grown food that he gives her, Montana’s health and mental acuity have improved. In fact, her whole being feels clearer and much more alive. But while she has learned a good deal of the truth about what is truly happening, there is obviously still much to learn and even more work to be done if she is to save everyone else.

I really enjoyed reading this book. It was a fascinating dystopian story involving a disease that no one seemed to be sure where it came from and that apparently has no cure. Once it strikes, a person must regularly undergo expensive “treatments” to keep it at bay. But what if there is another way to deal with it, one that the government doesn’t want the public to know about?

This book did have a few more typos than I noticed in the first book, but the story more than made up for them. It kept me reading through to the end, and my only real disappointment with it was in realizing that the third book in the series still has a bit of time before it’s release date. I will definitely be looking forward to being able to get the third book in the series and learning about what happens next for Montana Wool.

This was a book I really enjoyed reading and I think others will too, especially if you enjoyed the first book in the series. Recommended.

"Of Wolves and Sheep" by S.E. Meyer

In the future, it is very important for people to get their “treatments” every week to avoid dying of Fleishman’s Disease, something that had been affecting more and more people each year. Those who couldn’t afford the highly expensive treatments for the disease would soon die from it, though more than likely they would be banished before then to live beyond the wall with the others who had been previously banished for one reason or another.

Montana (Anna) has lived her whole life inside the wall, following the rules and working her way up to become a Homicide Detective just as her mother had done. But now she is learning more about her mother’s murder as well as many other things. Can she, along with the one known as the Lone Wolf, solve the mystery of who had killed her mother and why before Anna winds up in the same position herself?

I really enjoyed this novella. It was well written and well edited. This book begins a fascinating series that drew me in & held my interest throughout the entire story. While only a fictional tale, it contains enough realistic behaviors and reactions to various stimuli that it is easy to see how what happens in the story could very easily begin to happen in today’s world. The ending of this book though is what truly makes me look forward to reading the sequel once it is released. (I won’t spoil the ending for you, but I’ve already pre-ordered my copy!)

If you enjoy dystopian fiction that contains enough of a parallel to things happening in today’s world, then I strongly recommend reading this book.

"Parallax Book Two: Turning Points" by Marina Landry

Tomas Quaid is a soldier in the United People’s Guard. He has spent the past year stationed on the space colony and is now heading to his next assignment on the planet Earth where he and his team will be surveying a tract of land and improving prison security. But he also has a secret, one that if discovered by the other soldiers in the UPG will surely get him killed.

When the new commander of the prison arrives, he has brought his daughter with him to play hostess and entertain the officers at dinners. It is a role she is accustomed to filling, even if it is not one that she particularly enjoys. She does like to take walks by herself in the evenings, though her father does not like her walking around unaccompanied. After witnessing something unusual and potentially compromising to his secret agenda, Lidia begins requesting Quaid as her escort on her walks, much to his annoyance.

This was the second book in the Parallax series, and I found it to be just as enjoyable as the first book. There are some interesting twists that take place as Quaid and Lidia begin to get to know more about each other and build a slow friendship. But can they ever actually trust each other completely? Will it ever really be safe enough for them to be completely open and honest with each other?

Ms. Landry has done an excellent job telling a story about two people on opposite sides of warring nations who are trying to learn to trust not only each other, but also themselves. This book held my interest all the way through and left me wanting to know what will happen next. The world she created in book one of the series is expanded on in this book. My only complaint about it is that it ends with a bit of a cliffhanger, leaving me to wait impatiently for the chance to read the next book in the series. I’ll definitely be keeping my eyes open for it as I really do want to know what happens next.

"House of the Scorpion" by Nancy Farmer

Grown in a lab and harvested from the womb of a cow used to house and birth the fetus, Matt was cloned from El Patron. He was kept separate from the rest of the household during his younger years and raised by one of the household servants. All his life he was aware that the woman caring for him was not his mother, but he wasn’t really aware what that meant for him or why he wasn’t kept with any sort of family. He had been alone for a number of years before meeting any other children. And when he did finally meet them, things didn’t go nearly as well as he hoped.

Being a clone of the head of the household, Matt was considered property instead of a person in his own right. By many, he was treated as something less than human, though the only obvious difference between himself and anyone else was a tattoo on the bottom of his foot declaring that he was the property of the estate. Upon that realization, he was often treated by the staff as if he were no more than livestock, unless the man he was cloned from was to be around. At those times he was often treated with the respect that any human being was naturally given.

This was a book that my daughter’s English class was assigned to read and she asked me to read it as well. I found it quite an interesting book that was clearly meant to make the reader think about what makes one human. It was definitely meant to make the reader think about a lot of things they might not have considered before. I’m glad that I took the opportunity to read this book. It was one that really makes the reader think about a lot of things they might not have considered before. I would recommend giving this one a chance.

"Brink" by Cameron Coral

Ida Sarek is a soldier in the war against the Heavies, an alien force that has invaded and has been trying to destroy the existing population. She will be finishing her time serving as a soldier soon and returning to civilian life. During her time with the military, she has been working as a medic helping to save whatever lives she can. But she has a secret, one she has kept hidden even from her fellow soldiers. Ida is more than just a medic, she is a healer who has the ability to often bring someone back from the brink of death.

Once she is again a civilian, Ida finds herself living in the town of Spark City. It is a small, relatively isolated town that has suffered from the ravages of the war. Trade with other towns is nearly non-existent, and jobs are few and far between. Living among the human population are numerous types of hybrids that were created from various human/animal DNA combinations. Ida has tried keeping mostly to herself, but that is becoming increasingly difficult as she can’t find work and a young neighbor girl seems determined to get to know her.

It becomes impossible to stay hidden once the corrupt town mayor, who is dying, discovers her secret and sends people looking for her. Knowing she has the power to heal him and save his life, he is determined will have her help whether she wishes to give it or not.

This was an interesting dystopian, post-apocalyptic novel. I enjoyed reading this author’s view of a possible future for humanity. We get a peek at how even though many things are different, people are still relatively unchanged in their attitudes towards others. It was a good book and I’m glad I took the time to read it.