Review: Ferocious by Paula Stokes

Ferocious by Paula Stokes

Book Two of the Vicarious series

Publisher: Tor Teen

Publication Date: August 15, 2017

Rating: 3 stars

Source: ARC sent by the publisher

Summary (from Goodreads):

Paula Stokes returns to the world of Vicarious in this sequel, a high-action psychological thriller with a protagonist out for vengeance.

When Winter Kim finds out that her sister is dead and that she has a brother she never knew about, only two things matter―finding what’s left of her family and killing the man who destroyed her life. Her mission leads her from St. Louis to Los Angeles back to South Korea, where she grew up.

Things get increasingly dangerous once Winter arrives in Seoul. Aided by her friends Jesse and Sebastian, Winter attempts to infiltrate an international corporation to get close to her target, a nefarious businessman named Kyung. But keeping her last remaining loved ones out of the line of fire proves difficult, and when all seems to be lost, Winter must face one last devastating decision: is revenge worth sacrificing everything for? Or can she find a spark of hope in the darkness that threatens to engulf her?

What I Liked:

Ferocious is a little different compared to its predecessor, Vicarious. While Vicarious had a lot of action and jaw-dropping reveals, Ferocious felt more introspective. Fans of Vicarious will not be disappointed with this sequel, as it brings the story to a game-changing climax and wraps up everything in a neat fashion.

This book picks up fairly closely to where the previous book finished. Winter is determined to find the brother she never knew about it, and she leaves Jesse and Baz to recover in the hospital in St. Louis, while she goes to L.A. But trouble follows her to L.A., and she finds herself with Jesse and Baz heading to Seoul. Kyung has the ViSE tech that Winter was determined to protect, and she will stop at nothing to get it out of his hands and to make him pay for all of his crimes.

The pace of this book is much slower and involved more planning (in terms of what Winter, Baz, and Jesse were doing). I didn't mind this because the slower pace seemed necessary, with all that Winter had to take in, at the end of Vicarious. While most of the action deals with Winter trying to get the tech back, the other big part of the story is Winter's mental state.

This book has Winter's mental illness at front and center. Winter is trying to figure out who she is and who her alters are, and what she can do to control these parts of her. I like that Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) is something that is talked about a lot in this book - meaning, it is something that constantly appears on the page. Winter worries about losing control to her other alters. She worries about not being strong enough to do this or that. She worries that there is nothing she can do to be "normal" again. But at the same time, she talks about DID to Jesse, and her therapist, and Baz. It's not something that she keeps in secret, and I liked that she kept things so open.

Winter is such a private and sometimes closed-off person, which was obvious in book one, and is still obvious in this book. I must say, the author stays true to Winter's character. Not that you would expect the author not to, but Stokes does an excellent job with the characterization and character development of all of her characters. Winter felt the most real and well-written, probably because the author spent the most time making her flawed and imperfect and human and real.

Jesse is a constant support, always there for Winter, and a big part of the story. Baz is another pillar of support. Jesse was ex-military, and Baz was... something. He has connections to people with dangerous things in Korea (like hand-held weapons), and he is pretty handy to have around. But besides that, Baz is a a nice guy who means well. (If you're wondering, he was a friend of Gideon's, who was Rose's boyfriend and a father-figure to Winter.)

The romance in this book is suuuuuuper slow-burn and barely there. Well, it's something that comes up every now and then, but the majority of the romance is Winter trying to figure out what she wanted. Everyone and their mother could tell that Jesse loved Winter (Winter was well aware too). But Winter kept sending mixed signals because she didn't know what she wanted. Again, slow-burn, until the very end. A little too slow, given that the romance is slow-burn across the series, but not necessarily a bad thing. No swoony moments though, unfortunately.

Props to the author for doing such a great job with the setting (Seoul, mostly) and Korean culture. There are sprinkles of the Korean language, food, and customs, and of course most of the book is set in Seoul. To me it was clear that the author knew what she was writing about and had done her research. (Also, if anyone is curious, Stokes lived in Seoul for some time.)

The climax didn't feel super exciting mostly because by that point you can figure out who is going to live, who is going to die, who is going to end up with the tech, etc. It's a cookie-cutter ending with not a single important death, so take that as you will. It's a good ending but maybe a little too perfect? 

What I Did Not Like:

I feel like there are little things about this book that bothered me and I can't say I loved the book. Liked, yes, but not loved. I already mentioned how I thought the ending was a little too perfect, in a cookie-cutter kind of way. I honestly expected this one person to die, or another specific person, but literally no one dies, which was kind of irritating. And I was referring to good guys (in terms of people who I thought would die)! Usually there is at least one major "good guy" death.

The romance was soooooo slow. Don't get me wrong, I love slow-burn. But this was borderline annoying. I wrote above that it wasn't a bad thing and it really isn't for some people. And for most of the book, it didn't really bother me too much. But in the back of my head I kept thinking, nothing is happening! I understand what Winter needed to think through, but she wasn't attempting to think through certain things (like romance), so I didn't know what the point was.

Can I also mention how way-too-perfect Jesse seemed? I am all for sweet boys, but I think Jesse was a little too sweet and perfect. It was really hard for me to wrap my head around his constant I'd-do-anything-for-you-Winter attitude. Can you imagine a young boy in the 21st century carrying on like that? Y'all. I'm 22 i.e. around Jesse's age. It would be a hard NO. Also I'm not sure I see his motivation. I get that he loves her but before he loved her? Why?

"But this is fiction, Alyssa!" Yeah and he is STILL too perfect, selflessness aside. The guy never gets upset. He never gets irritated. He never throws a tantrum or a fit or has a ticking jaw. He literally neverrrrrrrrr feels any kind of negative emotion, EXCEPT maybe the occasional flash of disappointment when Winter doesn't want the breakfast he orders, or something like that. And it's like, a flash of disappointment and then he is back to his peppy self. Y'all. I'm sorry. But no. You could be the most even-tempered person (and I know plenty of those) and you'd still get irritated over this or that, in front of people. 

There was something about this book's plot that was a little lacking, especially considering how extreme and intense book one was. Maybe it was the whole "gotta-steal-back-the-tech" thing? I always find that kind of plot hard to believe because you're tell me untrained seventeen-year-old teenagers are outsmarting men in the forties/fifties with high-tech security and state-of-the-art technology and all of that? My imagination stretches pretty far but with these kinds of plot, I'm not always a believer. Especially when I thought there were a bunch of situations in which Winter got lucky, or there was some sort of deus ex machina at work.

Also, a small thing, but I'm so lost as to how Jesse appeared to make a miraculous recovery from the hospital in the early chapters of this book. He was in the ICU in St. Louis wrapped up in bandages upon bandages, and then two days later he hops on a plane, pops out in L.A., kicking down doors and chasing people? And yet he was healing from a gunshot wound and wounds that Winter inflicted on him? As the story goes on, there is mention of how Jesse has to slow down to take stairs, and his bandages have to be checked. But you understand what I'm saying, right? He basically did a 180 in less than 48 hours or so. If I had gotten shot (I think he got shot once at the end of book one, if I remember correctly), I would be chilling for days, if not weeks. This circles back to my mention of how Jesse's selflessness is very, very unbelievable.

Another thing? Does Winter ever feel bad about how she physically hurt Jesse? Not to mention that she manipulates him emotionally throughout this book (by stringing him along, until she finally makes up her mind). But she physically hurt him at the end of the book one, and I don't recall seeing her feel any kind of guilt at all, in this book. Maybe a fleeting thought. No apology or anything. And yet, Jesse treats her like she is Beyonce. Y'all. I can't deal with this fictional, fictitious boy.

Little things, right?

Would I Recommend It:

I highly recommend Vicarious but I can't say I really recommend Ferocious. I mean, I don't think anyone who loves this series and author will be disappointed - and if anything, all of my dislikes could be just me. But Ferocious didn't have the same impact that Vicarious had. I think it would have been better if Vicarious had been a standalone. Ferocious seemed kind of expendable and unnecessary - I could have been satisfied with Vicarious (but with a different ending - maybe Ferocious's ending). Vicarious was so good.

Rating:

3 stars. This was a difficult rating for me because I so wanted to love the book, and I gave it a higher rating initially. But that was me fooling myself and trying to force myself to feel that way. I liked the story but I just didn't love it, and the issues I had with it were enough to impact my rating. Still, I'm not disappointed and I'm glad I finished out the series. I'm looking forward to reading more by this author!

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Interview with Paula Stokes, Author of Ferocious (and GIVEAWAY!)

Happy Tuesday, bibliovores! Today I have an interview with Paula Stokes, prolific author of a zillion books but most importantly, Ferocious. This is the sequel to Vicarious and final novel in the duology. Stick around for the giveaway at the bottom of this post, in which you can win a copy of both Vicarious and Ferocious!

Meet Paula Stokes:

Alyssa: Hi and welcome to The Eater of Books! So glad you could join me today. =) Congratulations on the publication of Ferocious! By my count, this is your ninth published novel since 2012, including the ones published under Fiona Paul? How in the world do you make this happen? What helps your creative process so you keep going and don’t burn out?

Paula: Hi Alyssa :) Thanks! I love to write, so writing two books a year isn’t that difficult for me. The revising and promoting of two books a year can be draining, but if you want to do the fun stuff you have to do the less fun stuff that goes along with it. I do burn out sometimes, but if I’m burned out on writing I try to force myself to do promo work and vice versa if I’m burned out on promo. I am always working on multiple books at the same time, so if I get stuck drafting/revising one then I switch off to working on another. And in the rare instances when I am burned out on all things writing-related, well, that’s when I clean my apartment :D

Alyssa: How was writing this book different compared to writing the previous book, Vicarious? 

Paula: Oh, man. This book was hard. I wrote most of Vicarious in 2012, before Venom (now called Venomous Kiss) was published. Back then I had zero thoughts about ratings or reviews or sales numbers or marketing or “what readers want.” It was totally a labor of love and I had no idea if anyone else would even want to read it, let alone publish it. I just wrote a book full of all of the cool things *I* wanted to read about—strong girls who are also vulnerable, family bonds, adventure sports, knife fights, car chases, shark dives, high-tech sci-fi stuff. I knew back then if it sold I would have to write a sequel and I knew roughly what the sequel would be about, but I didn’t know years would pass before I had to write it. 

So, when that time finally came, my heart had moved onto other characters and stories and I had to sort of force myself to focus on Ferocious. It was painful and the early drafts are kind of terrible because my heart wasn’t in it. I eventually did fall back in love with the characters and I am very attached to the final product and the series as a whole, but it wasn’t until about draft #4 or #5 where everything started to come together in a way that felt right to me.

Alyssa: A somewhat related question – what was the most difficult thing about writing this book? Did you get stuck somewhere?

Paula: I got stuck near the end. Vicarious is so incredibly twisty and high-octane that nothing I came up with for Ferocious felt equivalent. Eventually, after trying to insert bigger twists that didn’t really work, I accepted the fact that Ferocious wasn’t going to be as shocking and action-packed as its predecessor, and that’s okay, because it deals not only with revenge, but also with Winter’s mental illness and her emotional bonds with Jesse and other characters. There are still twists and turns, but there are also quieter moments where Winter reflects about who she is, who she wants to become, and what the word “family” really means to her.

Alyssa: I'm glad that things got unstuck, and I definitely think those aforementioned aspects of the book are just as important as high-stakes action. The title (Ferocious) was released somewhat early on - how did you come up with the title of this book?

Paula: I wanted a title that started with V and/or ended in ous because I like matchy-matchy things, but I didn’t limit myself to those parameters. My first choice back in 2012 was to call the book Vicious, but we all know Tor published a different awesome book with that title in 2013, so that went out the window before Vicarious even sold. My next choice was Victorious, because it also fit the V/ous qualifications and it just seemed like such a good match. Too good of a match according to my editor, who felt that people would confuse the titles. Strike two. My next choice was Monstrous, because Winter has killed someone at the start of the book and she isn’t feeling particularly bad about it, so she wonders if there’s something wrong with her, if she’s some kind of monster. Then later we see some of the villains’ actions, and they are 100% monstrous and so that title worked on multiple levels. However, the word Monstrous has been used in several YA books in the past few years, so I decided to keep brainstorming. I had a whole list of stuff like Visceral, Nefarious, and Relentless, all of which I wasn’t sold on for one reason or another. Ferocious didn’t really pop into my head until late in revisions and it came from a line of dialogue from one of the villains. 

“You’re responsible for the death of my sister and [redacted for spoilers.]”

“Yes, yes, and look at you now. Resilient. Ferocious. We’re not so different, you and me. So put the gun away and we can both walk out of here.”

Once I typed it, it just fit, you know?

Alyssa: Definitely! OMG. Is it bad that I like Nefarious? It would definitely make me do a double-take in a bookstore. :D What’s your favorite line or scene from this book? With as little spoiler-y content as possible, of course!

Paula: I like different scenes for different reasons. The scenes I like best that aren’t spoilery involve Winter and Jesse or Winter and Sebastian (Baz.) Winter and Jesse are adorable together and I knew I would love their dynamic, but the character of Baz surprised me multiple times during the outlining and drafting. You don’t get to know him well in Vicarious, but he has a bigger role in Ferocious and I enjoyed peeling back the layers and discovering who he really is. Here’s Baz asking Winter about her feelings for Jesse. Does she like him or is she just stringing him along? Winter tries to explain why she doesn’t feel like a relationship with Jesse is possible. She believes that both her mental illness and her need for revenge stand in the way of being with someone.

“Even if I could get better someday, I came here to kill someone. That should feel wrong, but it doesn’t. It’s like I’m . . . blinded by hate.” I grab a throw pillow from the back of the sofa and hug it to my chest. I rest my chin on the edge of it. “I don’t feel lovable. Sometimes I don’t even feel human anymore.”

“Hate is a very human emotion,” Baz says quietly.

I blink back tears. “All I know is that it will never go away unless I kill [spoiler.] Unless I stand over his body and say, ‘This is for my sister, this is for [spoiler], this is for me.’ Needing to kill someone like that makes me feel like a monster. Monsters can’t love, can they?”

There’s a clattering noise from the hallway. Baz rises from his chair and strides quickly over to the door. I follow. We hear the maid humming softly as she pushes her cart past our door.

“Ready?” He slips the cloning device into his pocket. “I’ll be right back.”

He pauses to grab the towels from the bathroom. Then he opens the door to slip out into the hallway. Just before it closes behind him, he looks back at me, his gray eyes deadly serious. “For what it’s worth, I don’t think monsters spend a lot of time worrying about whether they’re monsters.”

I ponder the words while I wait. Baz told me once that he was a terrible person, and he was fine with it. Is he trying to say the two of us are different, that it’s not wrong for me to want to kill someone? That I can have both vengeance and love? It seems like too much for any one heart to handle.

Alyssa: Ooooo, love it! I love what Baz tells her. What are some YA psychological thrillers [i.e. comparable YA books] that you recommend to readers?

Paula: This is hard because I haven’t read a lot of light sci-fi mysteries and I don’t tend to think in terms of psychological thrillers when I think of comparison titles for the Vicarious duology. Books that come to mind for me are things like Starters by Lissa Price, All Our Yesterdays by Cristin Terrill, and Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Paige—the first for the techno elements, the second for the tough girl MC and light sci-fi elements, and the third for the vengeance storyline. Goodreads recommends Dream Fall by Amy Plum and Here Lies Daniel Tate, which is a new book by Cristin Terrill that I didn’t even know existed until now *adds to TBR* I tend to always guess the ending of psychological thrillers, but as far as YA mystery recommendations go, I really enjoyed Follow Me Back, Girl Last Seen, The Darkest Corners, and This is Our Story.

Alyssa: Ooo, yes. I personally recommend The Darkest Corners, Here Lies Daniel Tate, and the Mara Dyer series. Do you have plans for writing more books in this series? This particular world?

Paula: Hell to the no ;) Writing Winter was an amazing challenge, both from a cultural and mental illness aspect, but getting into her head required immense amounts of research and extra work. Also, she’s so dark (and rightfully so, given her history) that experiencing the world through her brain makes me feel sad. I’m glad I got to set a book in Seoul because it’s such a cool city, but I have no plans to write additional novels in this world, though I do have other light sci-fi, slightly futuristic ideas kicking around in my brain.

Alyssa: HA! I believe it. :D In general, what’s next, after Ferocious?

Paula: I have my new adult novel, The Key to Everything, out at the end of October and then another contemporary mystery, Hidden Pieces, releasing next spring. After that I’m hoping to sell an uplifting contemporary story set in Portland and/or an action-adventure story set in Iceland for 2019. Wish me luck :) I have a ton more ideas I’d like to write after those two, but I haven’t started more projects because I’m also applying to go back to school (again!) so I can finish my nurse practitioner certification.

Alyssa: Sounds good to me! Bless your creative, unstoppable mind. :D Thank you so much, and best of luck with everything!

Paula: You too. Thanks for being a long-time reader of my work and for your honest and thoughtful reviews. :)

About the Author:

Paula Stokes is the author of several novels, most recently Vicarious and Girl Against the Universe and Liars, Inc. Her writing has been translated into eleven foreign languages. Paula loves kayaking, hiking, reading, and seeking out new adventures in faraway lands. She also loves interacting with readers. Find her online at authorpaulastokes.com or on twitter as @pstokesbooks.

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About Ferocious:

Ferocious by Paula Stokes

Book Two of the Vicarious series

Publisher: Tor Teen

Publication Date: August 15, 2017

Summary (from Goodreads):

Paula Stokes returns to the world of Vicarious in this sequel, a high-action psychological thriller with a protagonist out for vengeance.

When Winter Kim finds out that her sister is dead and that she has a brother she never knew about, only two things matter―finding what’s left of her family and killing the man who destroyed her life. Her mission leads her from St. Louis to Los Angeles back to South Korea, where she grew up.

Things get increasingly dangerous once Winter arrives in Seoul. Aided by her friends Jesse and Sebastian, Winter attempts to infiltrate an international corporation to get close to her target, a nefarious businessman named Kyung. But keeping her last remaining loved ones out of the line of fire proves difficult, and when all seems to be lost, Winter must face one last devastating decision: is revenge worth sacrificing everything for? Or can she find a spark of hope in the darkness that threatens to engulf her?

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Check out Vicarious:

(Click on the cover for more information!)

The Giveaway:

Win a copy of Vicarious AND Ferocious! Courtesy of Tor Teen. Open to USA/CAN residents only. Ends 08/18, 11:59 PM EST. You can see complete giveaway rules in the Rafflecopter or on my Giveaways page. Good luck!

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Book Blitz and Giveaway: Vicarious by Paula Stokes

Welcome to the book blitz for Vicarious by Paula Stokes! I've read this book and of all of Stokes's published books, I think this one is my favorite. If you like psychological sci-fi thrillers, you must check out this book!

Vicarious review | JBN master post

About the Book:

Vicarious by Paula Stokes

Book One of the Vicarious series

Publisher: Tor Teen

Publication Date: August 16, 2016

Summary (from Goodreads):

Winter Kim and her sister, Rose, have always been inseparable. Together, the two of them survived growing up in a Korean orphanage and being trafficked into the United States. 

Now they work as digital stunt girls for Rose’s ex-boyfriend, Gideon, engaging in dangerous and enticing activities while recording their neural impulses for his Vicarious Sensory Experiences, or ViSEs. Whether it’s bungee jumping, shark diving, or grinding up against celebrities at the city’s hottest dance clubs, Gideon can make it happen for you, for a price.

When Rose disappears and a ViSE recording of her murder is delivered to Gideon, Winter won’t rest until she finds her sister’s killer. But when the clues she uncovers conflict with the neural recordings her sister made, Winter isn’t sure what to believe. To find out what happened to Rose, she’ll have to untangle what’s real from what only seems real, risking her life in the process.

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes and Noble | The Book Depository

About the Author:

Paula Stokes writes stories about flawed characters with good hearts. She’s the author of several novels, most recently Vicarious and Girl Against the Universe. Her writing has been translated into eleven foreign languages. Paula loves kayaking, hiking, reading, and seeking out new adventures in faraway lands She also loves interacting with readers. Find her online at authorpaulastokes.com or on twitter as @pstokesbooks.

Blog | Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter

The Trailer:

The Giveaway:

A signed copy of Vicarious or an ARC of the sequel, when available by Paula Stokes + Special Mystery Bookish Gifts. Giveaway is open internationally. | Must be 13+ to Enter

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Interview with Paula Stokes, Author of Vicarious (and GIVEAWAY!)

Hi folks! Today, I'm sharing my interview with Paula Stokes, author of Vicarious, as well as The Art of Lainey, Liars Inc., and Girl Against the Universe. It's the publication day of Vicarious, and you could win a copy of the book!

Vicarious review | Girl Against the Universe review 

Meet Paula Stokes:

Alyssa: Hi Paula! Thanks for joining me today! And congratulations on another publication! How does it feel to have seven (full-length) books published and out in the world?

Paula: Thank you, Alyssa :) It feels exhausting! But it’s also pretty awesome. I’m looking forward to releasing three more books next year with more on the way after that! :D

Alyssa: You’ve now worked with three different publishers (with regards to those seven novels). How has the experience been different, with each set of books?

Paula: For the books I wrote for Penguin in collaboration with Paper Lantern Lit, I was given a chance to give input on the cover, flap copy, and title, but I was a work-for-hire writer, and as is customary in that type of agreement, the ultimate decisions were made by Penguin and Paper Lantern Lit. 

HarperTeen has also involved me in all of those decisions, and all of my HarperTeen titles were made up by me. I was once asked to rename a book, and I did so after a couple days of pouting ;) (I really liked the title Bad Luck Charm, but now I like Girl Against the Universe even more.) And Tor Teen has involved me more than anyone, showing me stills from the cover photo shoots and asking my opinion on fonts, author blurbs, etc. Working on this book has been very exciting! I also titled Vicarious and the sequel, whose title I am keeping secret for a while ;)

Alyssa: Speaking of titles, how did Vicarious become this book’s title?

Paula: The original title, going back to mid 2012 when I drafted this, was Goodbye Rose. The book started out as more of a missing persons story and later transitioned into a murder mystery, after which I felt like that title didn’t fit. At the same time as I was thinking about titles, I knew I needed to come up with a proper name for the technological experiences Gideon sells. (Throughout drafting I was calling them SIMS, just because I didn’t have a better name and didn’t want to waste brainpower on it.) 

I wanted the word to be an acronym or something easy to pronounce and I toyed with a lot of different words like “sensory”, “amplified”, “integrated”, “realistic”, “neural”, “vicarious”, “neurological”, “simulations”, “scenarios”, “experiences” etc. I finally settled on ViNEs (Vicarious Neural Experiences) but the Vine app launched right when I had this book with beta-readers in early 2013, and my agent decided we should rename the tech just in case Vines became a Thing. (Cue more pouting on my part.) I literally brainstormed everything from AViNEs to SiNEs to ViSEs to RAVEs, to RiNEs, and ViSEs (Vicarious Sensory Experiences) just felt like the best fit. From there the title Vicarious just felt natural because the best titles work on multiple levels and it definitely does. Plus bonus points because it’s the name of a Tool song :)

Alyssa: What are some books that influenced you while writing or coming up with the idea for Vicarious?

Paula: I can’t think of any books that inspired Vicarious. This story is heavily influenced by the time I spent teaching English in Seoul, as well as 90s alternative music like Tool, System of a Down, and NIN, as well as movies like The Matrix, Strange Days, and Inception. I’ve had a while to think about comparison titles, and I feel like fans of Starters, Reboot, The Murder Complex, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, and the TV show Mr. Robot will probably enjoy Vicarious.

Alyssa: What is one message that you’d love young readers to take away from Vicarious? There must be! :)

Paula: One message is that there are a lot of different ways to live hollow lives. Winter does a ton of amazing things like snowboard, rock climb, shark dive, and jump off bridges. But there is a point in the book where she realizes that all of the dangerous things she does is her compensating for the fact that she has no social life—she pushes herself not to be afraid of her stunts because that keeps her from having to face the fact that she’s afraid of human interaction. I’m hoping none of my readers are in Winter’s particular situation, but I’m betting there are several people who are so focused on all of their academic pursuits or career goals that they’re basically filling up their lives with things that might not be giving them true meaning. (I am probably one of these people. I find the messages I put in my books are often ones that I need to hear.)

Alyssa: What’s another 2016 YA thriller that you’ve really enjoyed?

Paula: I really enjoyed The Darkest Corners by Kara Thomas. That book had a very similar feel to Dark Places by Gillian Flynn and I will definitely be picking up Thomas’s next thriller. I’ve also read some great adult thrillers this year and particularly enjoyed Dare Me by Megan Abbott.

Alyssa: Can you share anything from the book?

Paula: Since I talked about one of Winter’s realizations, let’s do a sneak preview. Also, this interview is lacking in Book Boy Jesse, who I’m sure everyone is dying to meet :D So this passage is about two thirds through the book but not spoilery. Winter and Jesse, her stunt training partner who likes her, are in a hotel room talking the night before they’re going to record a shark diving ViSE.

“Is now a bad time to tell you I’m afraid of sharks?” I ask. “Normally I’d be already nervous about tomorrow, but I’ve been focusing so much on finding Rose’s killers that I’m too exhausted to worry about anything else.”

“Your fear is what’s going to make this an epic ViSE.” Jesse’s voice is full of pride. “I love how you’re the kind of girl who runs toward the thing that scares you, not away from it.” 

I can’t bring myself to tell him he’s only partially right about me, that what scares me the most is other people, and that I run away from almost all of them. That the only people I even talk to are the ones who haven’t grown weary of chasing me. That’s partially why I do all the adventure stuff, why no job is too dangerous for me. Because I’m compensating. Because if I do a bunch of incredibly daring things, then no one can call me a coward. 

“What about my fear of elevators?” I ask.

“You’re not afraid of them. You just don’t like being enclosed,” Jesse says. “That’s a survival instinct. A lot of military guys won’t take elevators either, because being in one is an indefensible position. Plus,” he adds, “no one would pay for an elevator ViSE, so who cares?” 

He’s got a point. And as usual, he knows exactly what to say to make me feel better.

Alyssa: That is it from me! Thank you again for doing the interview, Paula!

Paula: You’re welcome. And thanks for being such a great supporter and long-time reader of my work :)

About the Author:

Paula Stokes is the author of several novels, most recently Vicarious and Girl Against the Universe and Liars, Inc. Her writing has been translated into eleven foreign languages. Paula loves kayaking, hiking, reading, and seeking out new adventures in faraway lands. She also loves interacting with readers. Find her online at authorpaulastokes.com or on twitter as @pstokesbooks.

Blog | Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

About the Book:

Vicarious by Paula Stokes

Book One of the Vicarious series

Publisher: Tor Teen

Publication Date: August 16, 2016

Summary (from Goodreads):

Winter Kim and her sister, Rose, have always been inseparable. Together, the two of them survived growing up in a Korean orphanage and being trafficked into the United States. 

Now they work as digital stunt girls for Rose’s ex-boyfriend, Gideon, engaging in dangerous and enticing activities while recording their neural impulses for his Vicarious Sensory Experiences, or ViSEs. Whether it’s bungee jumping, shark diving, or grinding up against celebrities at the city’s hottest dance clubs, Gideon can make it happen for you, for a price.

When Rose disappears and a ViSE recording of her murder is delivered to Gideon, Winter won’t rest until she finds her sister’s killer. But when the clues she uncovers conflict with the neural recordings her sister made, Winter isn’t sure what to believe. To find out what happened to Rose, she’ll have to untangle what’s real from what only seems real, risking her life in the process.

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes and Noble | The Book Depository

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Review: Vicarious by Paula Stokes

Vicarious by Paula Stokes

Book One of the Vicarious series

Publisher: Tor Teen

Publication Date: August 16, 2016

Rating: 4 stars

Source: ARC sent by the publisher

Summary (from Goodreads):

Winter Kim and her sister, Rose, have always been inseparable. Together, the two of them survived growing up in a Korean orphanage and being trafficked into the United States. 

Now they work as digital stunt girls for Rose’s ex-boyfriend, Gideon, engaging in dangerous and enticing activities while recording their neural impulses for his Vicarious Sensory Experiences, or ViSEs. Whether it’s bungee jumping, shark diving, or grinding up against celebrities at the city’s hottest dance clubs, Gideon can make it happen for you, for a price.

When Rose disappears and a ViSE recording of her murder is delivered to Gideon, Winter won’t rest until she finds her sister’s killer. But when the clues she uncovers conflict with the neural recordings her sister made, Winter isn’t sure what to believe. To find out what happened to Rose, she’ll have to untangle what’s real from what only seems real, risking her life in the process.

What I Liked:

What a twisted, mind-blowing novel! Part sci-fi, part thriller, this book was exceptional from start to finish. There were so many layers to the story, and to the protagonist, and I couldn't stop reading. I can't really pick out a "favorite" Stokes book, but this one is in my top two!

Winter and her older sister Rose have escaped the orphanage in South Korea, and human trafficking in L.A. Three years after Gideon took her and her sister away from the trafficking, Winter has adjusted well to her life. She suffers from PTSD, but she's better. Gideon has created technology to capture neural impulses, which enables the ViSE (Vicarious Sensory Experiences) user to experience the physical feelings of something, like bungee jumping, or kissing another person. Winter has been doing stunts like jumping off bridges, and running from the police. Rose does something a little different... and one night, she doesn't return home. A ViSE is found in their home, and it's of Rose dying. Winter is determined to find the killer, but the clues are strange. Something isn't adding up, and Winter isn't sure what is real and what is not.

I'm going to be honest - I wasn't sure I wanted to read this one. I've seen the author talk about the conditions that Winter struggles with in this book, such as PTSD, and more. I don't usually like to read books with "tough issues". Books dealing with addiction, rape, prostitution, and so on... I prefer not to read (it's too real, and I'm all about the not-so-real escapism!). But I've read Stokes' other six books, so I figured why not keep going (especially when the publisher drops a galley in your lap. Thank you, Tor!). I'd also like to thank my friend Pili, as this is my June '16 Pili-Pushed choice!

Let's start with Winter. On the outside, she seems like an intense, somewhat cold/distant Korean girl. On the inside, she doesn't like to be touched, and she represses a lot of bad memories from her past. She and her sister have had terrible pasts, going from an orphanage to human trafficking, used as sex slaves. Winter is living with PTSD, and she blacks out and sleep-walks and represses memories subconsciously, but she's been doing really well recently. She lives with her sister, and Gideon (her sister's ex-boyfriend, like a brother to Winter). Jesse Ramirez works for Gideon, and he's Winter's friend. He and Winter record stunts for Gideon.

My heart broke for Winter over and over. At one point, I honestly wanted to stop reading. This really isn't the type of book I personally like to read, especially since Winter's conditions were brought so heavily to the forefront of the book. BUT. It's incredible how well-written everything about Winter's condition and life is, how PTSD affects her in every aspect of living. It blew me away and broke my heart, and I have got to tip my hat to Stokes. What an incredible and powerful story to write.

While this book shows a lot of Winter's struggle with PTSD, it also follows her struggle to find out what happened to her sister. After seeing her sister murdered from a ViSE, Winter is determined to find out more. She and Jesse visit various clubs that Rose used to go to, and they try to hunt down clues and follow Rose's original recordings, before her death. As far as mysteries go, this one was a good one.

I was in NO way prepared for the ending, the final twist. I knew that certain things had to do with the ending and what really happened to Rose... but the way it happened, how Stokes brought it about... wow. My mind was totally blown. I think I had chills at one point. I was and wasn't expecting it - mostly wasn't. I wasn't expecting that magnitude of how-crap-ery. I have no idea HOW Stokes is going to top that twist, in book two!

There is romance in this book! It's not terribly important to the book, but it becomes a bigger part towards the ending, both in a good and bad way. I wanted to shake Winter just a little, at the very end, but then I reminded myself that she had every right to react the way she did. In general, the romance is sweet. And a little sad - Winter had and has a lot going on, but I felt bad for Jesse. It's complicated! As is practically everything in this book.

I am zipping my lips! There are a ton of things that I feel like I could accidentally spoil, which I don't want to do. You'll WANT to have your mind blown by this book and it's ending, trust me. Maybe it's just me but I was so bug-eyed, reading the rest of the book after the big climactic twist. 

I didn't mention anything about the world-building or genres - this novel as science fiction and thriller elements. Science fiction, because of the ViSE tech, which is pretty cool. It's kind of like virtual reality? But not really? Basically you can experience the real feeling of bungee jumping while viewing it, but it feels real because someone actually did it, and recorded his/her neural impulses as he/she was doing it. If that makes sense? And then this book is somewhat of a thriller too. 

Overall, I liked this book. Yes, I'm not a fan of YA books with such a big tough-issue focus. They're just not for me, and yet, I still enjoyed this book very much. And a high-five to Stokes for the diverse characters who didn't seem like they were simply filling an archetype/role!

What I Did Not Like:

Ehh, little things niggled at me, nothing to make me feel negatively towards the book. I've already mentioned that I'm generally not a fan of books with tough issue concepts - but I still liked this book, and thought Stokes did a great job writing the "tough issue" aspects. 

I didn't like that Winter didn't apologize (or get the chance to apologize) at the very very ending. This won't make sense to you since you may not have read the book, but I personally think the author could have ended the book with a short scene including Winter apologizing to a certain someone. She NEEDS to do this, and I really hope she does, in book two. Part of me wants to make excuses for her behavior because she's been through a lot, but then I also remember that she is a teenage girl and overreacted. A lot. Issues or not, she crossed a line. But I'm hoping this is addressed in book two. 

Just a general thought - I hate it when a guy messes up and has to beg and grovel and basically die before the girl forgives him, but if the girl messes up, she doesn't have to apologize or grovel. This is wrong, and romanticizes the idea of relationships. Boys do NOT magically forgive you without you apologizing or talking about it. Nope. This is a pet peeve of mine in fiction, both in YA and adult novels. It drives me crazy!

Would I Recommend It:

I'd recommend this book! It's worth the read, especially since it felt like there was a part of the story that would appeal to this crowd or that crowd. Sci-fi fans, thriller fans, tough-issue fans, etc. The issues I had with this book are fairly minor (ignore the fact that the previous section seems long), and pretty much specific to me/my preferences.

Rating:

4 stars. I'm excited about the sequel for several reasons - I need a sequel to this crazy ride, and it's the conclusion to the series! I do love this duology trend in YA. Less annoying waiting and forgetting-all of-the-details-of-the-series-by-the-time-the-next-book-publishes!

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Review: Girl Against the Universe by Paula Stokes

Girl Against the Universe by Paula Stokes

Publisher: HarperTeen

Publication Date: May 17, 2016

Rating: 4 stars

Source: eARC from Edelweiss

Summary (from Goodreads):

Maguire is bad luck.

No matter how many charms she buys off the internet or good luck rituals she performs each morning, horrible things happen when Maguire is around. Like that time the rollercoaster jumped off its tracks. Or the time the house next door caught on fire. Or that time her brother, father, and uncle were all killed in a car crash—and Maguire walked away with barely a scratch.

It’s safest for Maguire to hide out in her room, where she can cause less damage and avoid meeting new people who she could hurt. But then she meets Jordy, an aspiring tennis star. Jordy is confident, talented, and lucky, and he’s convinced he can help Maguire break her unlucky streak. Maguire knows that the best thing she can do for Jordy is to stay away. But it turns out staying away is harder than she thought.

From author Paula Stokes comes a funny and poignant novel about accepting the past, embracing the future, and learning to make your own luck.

What I Liked:

I'd like to start my review by saying that this book was not nearly as difficult to read as I'd expected. See, the thing is, I do not like to read books that focus on "tough issues", such as mental health, or rape, or suicide, or depression. Fiction is a means of escape for me, and reading those difficult (yet SO significant) issues makes me incredibly discouraged and sad, no matter the outcome of the book. Girl Against the Universe is about a girl suffering from a number of mental illnesses, such as PTSD and OCD; it's also about a boy trying to figure out what's best for himself, and not what everyone else wants from him. I honestly wasn't all that interested in this book, because I thought it would be on those typical heavy YA contemporary novels that I try to avoid. But, I'm glad I gave the book a shot, because I did like it a lot.

I'm counting this as this month's Pili-Pushed novel, even though I downloaded the book from Edelweiss before needing a push... I've read Stokes' other five novels, and for the most part, liked them. To see other Pili-Pushed recommendations, click on the "Pili-Pushed" tag!

Maguire is convinced that her mere presence puts people in danger. Years ago, she was in a car accident in which her father (the driver), uncle, and older brother died, but she did not get hurt at all. A series of extraordinary events followed, in which everyone but Maguire was hurt in some way. Maguire doesn't like to use public transportation, or being in a car with others. She constantly checks for potential hazards, and has all kinds of good luck charms and rituals. She's been doing great, no accidents lately; she's also been a granite wall to her therapist. But meeting Jordy changes everything for Maguire. Can she trust herself to be around him, or is her bad luck going to strike once again?

Maguire is a strange girl, as we see from the very first chapter. We meet Maguire in her therapist's office, in which she is dodging his questions and being cryptic and not talkative and basically wasting everyone's time. Leaving the session, she meets the therapist's next patient, a boy who won't tell her who he is, but wants her to help him with his therapy session "homework". As it would turn out, he's Jordy, a famous junior tennis player, and guess what else? Maguire had decided to join the tennis team (she used to play), as part of her goals (she isolates herself, so joining the tennis team is a huge step for her). She and Jordy becomes friends.

I liked Maguire almost immediately. I was a tiny bit surprised because often I'll be frustrated with the protagonist of a YA contemporary "tough issues" novel, but I really felt for Maguire. She has all these coping mechanisms in the form of good luck charms, and she selectively blames herself for things out of her control. Logically, you're probably thinking, that's ridiculous! I would probably be thinking that too; but you can really see Maguire's state of mind, and understand what she's thinking and why. I think Stokes did a really good job of making Maguire who she is, and in an authentic and interesting way.

Our other protagonist, Jordy, is equally as complex and strange and interesting. This book is told from Maguire's first-person POV, but we get to experience Jordy's character development parallel to Maguire's. Jordy is a tennis star whose parents dictate every aspect of his life. He's a people pleaser, so he doesn't fight it. But he's been seeing the therapist because he feels like "tennis Jordy" and "real Jordy" are two completely different personalities, and he doesn't know who he really is. Seeing Jordy work through his problems (familial and otherwise) is just as wonderful as seeing Maguire do the same. Both characters have been through so much, and work hard to overcome. 

Did I mention that this book isn't as heavy as you'd think? Don't get me wrong, Stokes really REALLY captured PTSD and OCD, and portrayed the illnesses not how one would think (OCD isn't just straightening pages or matching corners). But the book wasn't constantly bogged down by tragic and heartbreaking event after tragic and heartbreaking event. Maguire's (and Jordy's) story is quite uplifting, with plenty of mountains and valleys.

Of course there is a little romance in this book! Maguire and Jordy are cute and sweet together. Maguire doesn't think she's ready for a relationship, and she's also heard certain things about Jordy. But I like how Jordy is a totally *real* guy; he's also very straightforward and tells her he likes her as more than a friend (in my experience, guys are not so direct). Jordy is a sweetie, a patient and kind person who probably gives nice guys. I love this pair!

Tennis! My favorite sport (well, it's a tie with soccer). I love seeing sports play a big role in YA novels, especially featuring a female athlete protagonist (and in this book, also a male one). Maguire is pretty hardcore! Not as hardcore as Jordy though. Being a huge tennis fan, I loved following all the tennis speak!

Overall, I'm pretty satisfied with this book. Of Stokes' three books, this would be my favorite. Of the author's six books (three of which are under her pen name), it'd probably be tied with Starling (I REALLY liked Starling). My next Stokes book is Vicarious!

What I Did Not Like:

This could totally just be me, but I thought the climax was a little cliche? Maybe cliche is a bad word for what I'm thinking. Like, the climax just seemed like one of those scenes that unfolds and you're just like, of COURSE that happens, because duh, it just happened to be that way... it seemed way too obvious of a climax and I'm kind of disappointed that the author took that route. But this is a small (Alyssa) thing; I think the climax worked with the story, but it seemed cliche.

Would I Recommend It:

If you like YA contemporary, I'd recommend this book. I don't like and recommend too many YA tough-issue contemporary novels, so I'd like to say that it probably means something, that I'm recommending this book. *nudges*

Rating:

4 stars. A cute, not-so-heavy, important novel on making your own destiny and taking the reins of your life. I'd love to read an epilogue featuring Jordy and Maguire!

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