Blog Tour Favorite Quotes and Giveaway: Unravel by Imogen Howson

Welcome to the blog tour for Unravel by Imogen Howson! I'm so pleased to share this post with you and be a part of this tour - I LOVED this series! Check out my reviews, my favorite quotes from Unravel, and the awesome giveaway!

Read my review of Linked (book one)!

Read my review of Unravel (book two)!

Here are some of my favorite quotes from Unravel:

"Cadan bent his head to hears, that little smile still warming his eyes. When he kissed her, she lost her own breath. And it didn't matter what would have happened in an alternate universe, or even in a universe with a slightly different order to events."

"Elissa wasn't looking at a weirdly alien-familiar face. She was looking at her sister, he twin, someone whom she might not understand, but someone whom she might not understand, but whom she knew, whom she loved."

"'Why are you acting like it's a problem that you love me? For goodness' sake, I love you, don't I?'

It was the look on his face that brought her short. 'Now what? What is it?'

'You never said that before,' he said."

"The explosion came, thunderous, world shaking, but from behind the flyer. The grenade had bounced off it, struck the ground before it exploded.

Every last bit of strength went from Elissa's knees. She started to crumple, and Ady caught her. He pulled her away from the doorway and lowered her to the floor.

Then Cadan was there, swinging himself up into the flyer. He reached up, hit the door button, and the door clamped shut, sealing them all in."

Check out the book!

Unravel by Imogen Howson

Book Two of the Linked series

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

Publication Date: July 8, 2014

Official Summary:

Untold dangers await telepathic twins in this sequel to the futuristic, romantic thriller called classic sci-fi, space-travel adventure at its best. After Elissa and Lin exposed the government's secret experiments in Linked, which Booklistcalled a roller-coaster ride into space that just about everyone should enjoy, their home planet Sekoia is thrown into chaos. Determined to do their part to help the planet they've hurt, they return to Sekoia only to discover that things are far worse that they imagined. Resources are suddenly scarce, people are scared, and there's a rising current of anger against the Spares. When Lissa and Lin find themselves among another group of Spares and twins, they feel like they've found their kindred spirits at last. But a threat none of them could have expected is lying in wait for Sekoia's Spares.

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes and Noble | The Book Depository

Check out book one!

Linked by Imogen Howson

Book One of the Linked series

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers

Publication Date: June 11, 2013

Summary (from Goodreads): 

Elissa used to have it all: looks, popularity, and a bright future. But for the last three years, she’s been struggling with terrifying visions, phantom pains, and mysterious bruises that appear out of nowhere. 

Finally, she’s promised a cure: minor surgery to burn out the overactive area of her brain. But on the eve of the procedure, she discovers the shocking truth behind her hallucinations: she’s been seeing the world through another girl’s eyes. 

Elissa follows her visions, and finds a battered, broken girl on the run. A girl—Lin—who looks exactly like Elissa, down to the matching bruises. The twin sister she never knew existed. 

Now, Elissa and Lin are on the run from a government who will stop at nothing to reclaim Lin and protect the dangerous secrets she could expose—secrets that would shake the very foundation of their world. 

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes and Noble | The Book Depository

About the Author:

As a child, I loved reading so much that I not only read in bed, at the table and in the bath, but in the shower and – not so successfully – on my bicycle.

I enjoyed books in a slightly unorthodox way, too – many of my childhood books have ragged edges where I tore paper from the margins in order to eat it.

I wrote my first book at eight. It was entitled The Dragon in the Teapot and would probably have been a huge hit if I hadn’t lost the only copy on a family day out.

Some years later, armed with several different types of backups, I’m busy writing romantic science fiction and fantasy for young adults and adults.

I live with my partner, our two teenage daughters, and three cats, near Sherwood Forest in England. I’m a Christian, a feminist, and a lover of cheese, chocolate, stationery shops and eighties pop music. I still read in most places, but I no longer eat paper.

I’m a member of The Romantic Novelists’ Association, the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, the group blogs The Lucky 13s and Author Allsorts, and the online writers’ community Romance Divas. I’m represented by Mandy Hubbard of D4EO Literary Agency.

You can keep in touch with me on Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/imogenhowsonauthor – or Twitter –http://twitter.com/imogenhowson.

Or please feel free to contact me by email.

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The Giveaway:

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Review: Unravel by Imogen Howson

Unravel by Imogen Howson

Book Two of the Linked series

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

Publication Date: July 8, 2014

Rating: 4 stars

Source: eARC from Edelweiss

Summary (from Goodreads):

Untold dangers await telepathic twins in this sequel to the futuristic, romantic thriller called classic sci-fi, space-travel adventure at its best. After Elissa and Lin exposed the government's secret experiments in Linked, which Booklistcalled a roller-coaster ride into space that just about everyone should enjoy, their home planet Sekoia is thrown into chaos. Determined to do their part to help the planet they've hurt, they return to Sekoia only to discover that things are far worse that they imagined. Resources are suddenly scarce, people are scared, and there's a rising current of anger against the Spares. When Lissa and Lin find themselves among another group of Spares and twins, they feel like they've found their kindred spirits at last. But a threat none of them could have expected is lying in wait for Sekoia's Spares.

What I Liked:

YAY for another series completed! This one was a duo, so that made finishing the series easier. I like duos, because they're less stretched out and mass-marketed like trilogies. Also, with trilogies, the final book is almost always published more than a year after the second book. A year and a half to two years is the norm, it seems. I understand that the author wants to make the third book as fantastic as possible, but honestly, most of the time, when the author takes more than a year, the book ends up with a lower rating than a third book that published a year after the second. But I digress.

I liked this book a lot. I knew, after the first book ended, that there must be another book to the series. This book! I think this book does an excellent job of continuing the story from the first book, as well as wrapping up the series. The plot was weird - I felt like it was a lot of back-and-forth, but I was (overall) interested in knowing what was happening, what was going to happen, and what I missed (if I skipped over something).

Elissa and Lin are heading back to Sekoia, to try and help the planet with the space shuttles and hyperdrives. But when the girls and the rest of the Phoenix's crew reach Sekoia, they find that things are very different. The planet is under IPL law, not SFI law, and everything is chaos. They are taken into a safe house by Cadan's parents, which houses other twins and Spares, just like Elissa and Lin. But there are worse things than the abductions and raids happening on the planet, as everyone is about to find out.

Once again, Elissa is the twin I favor. I like Lin well enough, but she doesn't act human, and she has no compassion - except towards Elissa. Elissa is kind and thoughtful, with a soft heart and a hard-working attitude. I hate how she puts herself down all the time, thinking that she does nothing, while Cadan and Lin and Ivan and everyone else does something. Elissa always feels like she's dead weight, but she is so strong, such a wonderful heroine. Not every heroine has to save the world, and that's okay.

The story of this book was kind of weird. Part was spent trying to get to Sekoia. Part was spent figuring out that they need to take shelter on Sekoia. Then they went to the safe house. Then they had to leave the safe house. Then they were off to Philomel (a different planet). It was very see-saw-like, and honestly, a little bit exhausting to follow.

Howson injects seeds of conflict throughout the story though, and she goes straight for Cadan and Elissa's relationship. Cadan's parents didn't know that she and Cadan were dating, so when they see Cadan and Elissa together, they don't necessarily approve. Cadan's mother puts it in Elissa's mind that Elissa is distracting Cadan. Then there's Cadan himself - to Elissa, it seems like he isn't treating her like an adult. And Elissa - she is so insecure, but rightfully so. With Cadan's mother breathing down her back, less and less time with Cadan, and her growing doubt of the strength of their relationship, Elissa has every right to feel like her love life isn't in great shape.

What I like about this is how the author tests Elissa and Cadan, how she keeps throwing obstacles in their paths - whether it's the parents, or Elissa's self-doubt, or Cadan having to leave to pilot. It seems like every time that Cadan and Elissa get alone time, they either get interrupted really quickly, or they disagree about something. But they work things out, bit by bit, and I like that. I wanted to see more intimacy between them, but as an afterthought, I realize that it's not really their style. Oh well.

Stick with the story. It might seem cyclical, or tug-of-war-like, but it's necessary. Howson tackles Sekoia, then IPL, then the Spares, problem after problem after problem. Not that the Spares are a problem, necessarily, but there is a problem with them. The last 15% were CRAZY - Howson throws something at the very end that is not totally unexpected, but the way it happens is unexpected. I was shocked and enraged right along with a certain character, but in the end, I think it was bound to happen.

All in all, I'm satisfied with this book! It has a wonderful ending, not cookie-cutter perfect, but satisfying. I'm a tad bit confused as to how the IPL/Sekoia/Spares government/rights/problems worked out specifically, but I think that was just me rushing to get to the end. Don't do that. Take your time, at the end.

What I Did Not Like:

This book was so long. Nearly 500 pages? Woah. I was definitely intimidated from the beginning, especially after reading The Queen of the Tearling by Erika Johansen (also somewhere between 400 and 500 pages). I feel like there were paragraphs in each chapter that really were not necessary. A good fraction of this book could have been cut down. In all honestly. I skipped whole pages of this book, when I saw that it was the same contemplation, the same musing, the same observation, over and over, just said differently. I definitely understand the basics and beyond. There was just too much narration and "fluff" for me. 

And all that narration and musings and whatnot? It can be boring at times. That's why I skipped pages at a time, when I skipped at all. I hate skipping parts of a book. But you gotta do what you gotta do when a part of the book isn't holding your interest, but you want to finish the book. So. 

Would I Recommend It:

I would most definitely recommend you read this book if you've already read Linked! I know there were some readers that thought that Linked ended well - but there is more to the story! And I liked the "more".

And if you haven't started this series, I would recommend the books! It's only a duo, and this is the last book (obviously), so, no waiting, no angst, no heartbreaking decisions or cliffhangers. These books are heavily science fiction, but I love the backseat romance, and the sisters theme. Definitely give these two books a try, if you love science fiction (or even if you don't)!

Rating:

4 stars. What a fabulous ending to this duo series! I'm sad that it ended (like with most series), but I think I like duos, how that they don't stretch on for miles (years) and leave me heartbroken (oftentimes). Well done, Imogen Howson!

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Was this review helpful? Please let me know in the comments section!

Review: Linked by Imogen Howson

Linked by Imogen Howson

Book One of the Linked series

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers

Publication Date: June 11, 2013

Rating: 4 stars

Source: eARC from Edelweiss

Summary (from Goodreads): 

Elissa used to have it all: looks, popularity, and a bright future. But for the last three years, she’s been struggling with terrifying visions, phantom pains, and mysterious bruises that appear out of nowhere. 

Finally, she’s promised a cure: minor surgery to burn out the overactive area of her brain. But on the eve of the procedure, she discovers the shocking truth behind her hallucinations: she’s been seeing the world through another girl’s eyes. 

Elissa follows her visions, and finds a battered, broken girl on the run. A girl—Lin—who looks exactly like Elissa, down to the matching bruises. The twin sister she never knew existed. 

Now, Elissa and Lin are on the run from a government who will stop at nothing to reclaim Lin and protect the dangerous secrets she could expose—secrets that would shake the very foundation of their world. 

What I Liked:

I'm actually kicking myself for not reading this one sooner! It's a gem in the YA science fiction world! I did NOT know that this book was futuristic, and highly dystopian. I thought it was a contemporary read with science fiction elements. That was one of the reasons why I put this off for so long - because the summary didn't seem that interesting, and I had been reading way to many thriller contemporaries at the time.

Well, I'm so glad that I eventually pulled this book up on my Kindle and started reading. I was actually in a car ride that was an hour long one way, so I had time. I was very surprised to find out within the first couple of chapters that this book is set in a futuristic society! Like, floating cars, space travel, all-electronic kind of futuristic. Like, The Jetsons, or Star Wars. I did not expect that! This fact immediately drew me in, and I began to read with enthusiasm.

So, Elissa (GREAT name, if I may say so myself!) isn't normal. She sees horrible things - hallucination, the doctors say, and it prevents her from doing so many things in life, like concentrating on school, sleeping well, and so on. What she finally realizes is that she is seeing someone else's experiences. Elissa realizes this just days before the big surgery to end the catastrophe in her mind, but Elissa decides that she is going to find the girl and save her.

Elissa finds the girl, and soon, they are on the run. They decide to leave their planet and go to another one, to hide Lin (Elissa's twin). They board Caden's ship. Caden is several years older than Elissa, and is the highly accomplished best friend of Elissa's older brother. Once, Elissa used to adore and look up to Caden - but that was before the hallucinations started - before Caden started acting pompous around her.

So, the majority of the book is based in Caden's ship. Elissa doesn't trust Caden, and so she doesn't tell him the trust about her and Lin until it is too late - and then things start to get interesting. I found that while the beginning of the book, on Elissa's planet, was somewhat dull and boring, the rest of the book (the majority) was EXCELLENT. Fast-paced, interesting, and filled with heart-pounding goodness.

The story is told in Elissa's point-of-view, and not once was I frustrated by Elissa or her thinking. She's a tough person, and she doesn't put up with much, especially from Lin. yet she's so protective of Lin, and even Caden, as she tries to keep Caden in the dark about their fugitive status.

From the summary, I was wondering where the romance, if any, would come into play. As soon as we meet Caden (the first time he is introduced to characters is very quickly from the start of the book), and we see Elissa's negative thoughts about him, and her positive thoughts from their past, I had a feeling they would meet again in this book, and the romance would start there.

While there were no (or very, very little) physically swoony scenes, I found the relationship between Caden and Elissa very sweet. They don't reconcile until the very end, and so for the duration of the book, they are at odds. BUT, there are so many small, subtle things that Ms. Howson put in the novel that made the romance so beautiful. And there is no love triangle!

The ending is... WOW. So much happens at the very end - I could read it fast enough. As a novel, the ending wraps up very well, but you just know there is going to be at least one more book. And there another book! It's called Shattered. Woohoo!

What I Did Not Like:

Like I said before, I found Elissa's time on her planet (the very beginning of the book) sort of boring. I completely understand why the author did so much explaining and describing, and her world-building is amazing, but the time on the planet was boring. When Elissa and Lin were on the ship was much more interesting.

I know I said that I loved the sweetness and beauty of Caden and Elissa's relationship, but I was hoping for a little more. Both are private, somewhat shy people, so I didn't really expect them to have more of a physical relationship, but I was left feeling like there should have been more between them, at the end. Perhaps in the next book, I can hope to see more.

Would I Recommend It:

YES! I know for me, I wasn't really interested in this book at all, based on the summary. But after actually reading the book, I'm hooked! Just jump in and read it! Don't worry about the summary.

Rating:

4 stars. I honestly can't wait to read the next book!

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