Wednesday, February 13, 2013

Waiting on Wednesday (#7): Taken by Erin Bowman


"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week I'm featuring:
 
Taken (Taken, #1)
 
Taken by Erin Bowman
Book One of the Taken series
Publisher: HarperTeen
Publication Date: April 16, 2013
 
Summary (from Goodreads):
 
There are no men in Claysoot. There are boys—but every one of them vanishes at midnight on his eighteenth birthday. The ground shakes, the wind howls, a blinding light descends…and he’s gone.

They call it the Heist.

Gray Weathersby’s eighteenth birthday is mere months away, and he’s prepared to meet his fate–until he finds a strange note from his mother and starts to question everything he’s been raised to accept: the Council leaders and their obvious secrets. The Heist itself. And what lies beyond the Wall that surrounds Claysoot–a structure that no one can cross and survive.

Climbing the Wall is suicide, but what comes after the Heist could be worse. Should he sit back and wait to be taken–or risk everything on the hope of the other side?
 
 
YAY for an awesome-sounding book! Ms. Bowman has me hooked already! I personally LOVE the cover, and would read the book just for it, but I've known about this book BEFORE the cover was even a thing! So, I'm really excited to read this one.
 
What can't you wait for!?

32 comments:

  1. I got an ARC of this from Edelweiss, and I can't wait to start it! It really does sound amazing. Great pick :D
    My WoW

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    1. YOU LUCKY DUCKY! I still haven't attempted to figure out Edelweiss. I probably should lol.

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  2. This looks really different - have never heard of it before but I'll be adding it to my list.

    Here's my WoW

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    1. You totally should! I am so excited to read it :D

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  3. I've had this on my TBR list for a while now. I can't wait to read it!

    Beth @ YA Vixens
    Vixen's WoW!

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  4. Gah! I can't wait for this one, as well. Awesome pick.

    Raina @ The LUV'NV
    (Old follower)

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  5. Ooh, I know what you mean! THE COVER. *fans self* It's beautiful, LOL! But you're right, this does sound totally awesome, and it's been on my TBR for a while. Boy's point of view! Yay! I'd like to see if this can be done well. Great pick, Alyssa! (:

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    1. I'm definitely looking forwar to reading the hero protagonist's point of view. Thank you! :)

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  6. Sounds interesting. Great pick!

    Check out my WoW: http://mycrazybookobsession.blogspot.se/2013/02/waiting-on-wednesday-16.html

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  7. Love that another dystopian will be from a male POV! This is definitely going to be on my to-read list now.

    Thanks for stopping by!

    Angie @ YA Novelties

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  8. I've seen this book around, and I have to say I'm intrigued...I love the cover, and the story looks amazing. Thanks for stopping by Books, Bones & Buffy!

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    1. You should dfinitely read t when you can! Thank YOU, Tammy :)

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  9. I agree the cover is definitely drawing me in. The presume sounds different too. Need to read it for sure. Great pick.

    Valerie
    StuckInBooks.com

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  10. Dying to know how and why the boys disappear at 18? Sounds super intriguing! Thanks for stopping by!

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    1. RIGHT! This is definitely one of my most anticipated reads of 2013 :D

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  11. Taken looks good! Great choice and it is definitely now on my list too.

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  12. Nice pick! I think a lot is people are waiting on this one. Thanks for sharing!

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  14. Great pick! I have an ARC of this. I'll be reading it soon. It sounds great.

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  15. I can't wait for this one either! :)

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  16. I already have Taken on my to-read list and I'm really excited about it. I love the summary and I can't wait. Great pick.
    Come check out my WOW post.

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  17. The first thing to note with Taken is that it is told through a male narrative. Most of the young adult books I read are generally told from either a girl’s perspective or a dual narrative so it was refreshing to have a boy’s voice for once. Gray Weathersby lives in a town called Claysoot, a place where there are no men, only boys. On each boy’s eighteenth birthday, they disappear. They are Heisted. No one knows what happens to the boys or where they go. At the beginning of Taken, Gray’s older brother is just turning eighteen, with Grey’s birthday not that long behind his. Gray was a fantastic protagonist and one I liked immediately, even though he is head-strong and doesn’t really think about the consequences of his actions. However, there is a lot more to Gray than is let on to begin with and I really enjoyed getting to know his character.

    The central plot of this book is the Heist and what happens to all of the boys once they disappear. The idea for me was very original and different and it was also really interesting. Due to the nature of the plot, there is a lot of mystery involved in Taken and it takes a while to get to know what’s really going on. Even then, Erin Bowman throws in some many twists and turns that you’re never really sure what is the truth and what isn’t. Although the beginning of the book begins to explain about Claysoot and the Heist, Taken isn’t completely set there. Gray is extremely brave when he attempts to climb the wall in order to see what is on the other side but I don’t really think he was ever prepared for what he would find.

    Although Gray is the protagonist of Taken, there are so many other wonderful characters introduced along the way. Love interest Emma takes up a large amount of the beginning of the book, due to the way in which Claysoot is run. I liked getting to know about the town where Gray grew up and the kinds of things that they did there. However, the outside world was far more interesting but Bowman manages to mix the two places together. While there are more important things going on, Claysoot is a part of them and it was exciting waiting to find out how the town fit in to everything. However, Emma presence is quite short lived and I don’t think the character was used as much as she maybe could have been. Along with Emma, there are so many other characters on the outside world who I utterly loved but I don’t want to mention anything about them so I don’t give anything away.

    All in all, Erin Bowman has created a world full of mystery and suspense but also one with an intricate background. Taken’s plot was by far one of the most original and intense that I have read for a long time. Gray’s strong and sure narrative makes Taken a fantastic read and now I am desperate for the second book to find out what will happen next.


    -- topspot-official.blogspot.com --

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    1. WOW, what a well-thought-out comment! I am looking forward to TAKEN even more! Thank you! :)

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  18. I think I just saw this one recently. Hope you like it!

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