Waiting on Wednesday (#272): Give the Dark My Love by Beth Revis

"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:

Give the Dark My Love by Beth Revis

Book One of the Give the Dark My Love series

Publisher: Razorbill

Publication Date: September 25, 2018

Summary (from Goodreads):

When seventeen-year-old Nedra Brysstain leaves her home in the rural, northern territories of Lunar Island to attend the prestigious Yugen Academy, she has only one goal in mind: learn the trade of medicinal alchemy. A scholarship student matriculating with the children of Lunar Island's wealthiest and most powerful families, Nedra doesn't quite fit in with the other kids at Yugen, who all look down on her. 

All, except for Greggori "Grey" Astor. Grey is immediately taken by the brilliant and stubborn Nedra, who he notices is especially invested in her studies. And that's for a good reason: a deadly plague has been sweeping through the North, and it's making its way toward the cities. With her family's life--and the lives of all of Lunar Island's citizens--on the line, Nedra is determined to find a cure for the plague. 

Grey and Nedra continue to grow closer, but as the sickness spreads and the body count rises, Nedra becomes desperate to find a cure. Soon, she finds herself diving into alchemy's most dangerous corners--and when she turns to the most forbidden practice of all, necromancy, even Grey might not be able to pull her from the darkness.

Website | Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes and Noble | The Ivy Bookshop

This sounds really good! I've had success with Revis's books in the past, and I love fantasy. This is her first fantasy novel and I am very excited about it!

Review: A World Without You by Beth Revis

A World Without You by Beth Revis

Publisher: Razorbill

Publication Date: July 19, 2016

Rating: 4 stars

Source: Galley from First to Read

Summary (from Goodreads):

Seventeen-year-old Bo has always had delusions that he can travel through time. When he was ten, Bo claimed to have witnessed the Titanic hit an iceberg, and at fifteen, he found himself on a Civil War battlefield, horrified by the bodies surrounding him. So when his concerned parents send him to a school for troubled youth, Bo assumes he knows the truth: that he’s actually attending Berkshire Academy, a school for kids who, like Bo, have "superpowers."

At Berkshire, Bo falls in love with Sofia, a quiet girl with a tragic past and the superpower of invisibility. Sofia helps Bo open up in a way he never has before. In turn, Bo provides comfort to Sofia, who lost her mother and two sisters at a very young age. 

But even the strength of their love isn’t enough to help Sofia escape her deep depression. After she commits suicide, Bo is convinced that she's not actually dead. He believes that she's stuck somewhere in time — that he somehow left her in the past, and now it's his job to save her. 

What I Liked:

My initial thought upon finishing this book: wow, that was mind-blowing. I didn't have pretty much any expectations when going into this story, other than hoping it would be awesome because it is a Revis book, and I love her books. Reading this book days after reading Paula Stokes' Vicarious worked out strangely for me, as these two books are very, very similar in the "big twist". And I highly enjoyed both books!

A World Without You starts with the memorial service of Sofía, who was Bo's girlfriend, and fellow student at Berkshire. Bo is angry and frustrated; he knows that Sofía isn't actually dead, and that he can go back in time and bring her back. After all, she disappeared because he took her to 1692, and accidentally traveled back in time... without her. But then government investigative officials come to Berkshire, and suddenly everyone except Bo is under the belief that Sofía is really dead, that she committed suicide. Bo is sure that the officials are alternating everyone's perception of reality. But Bo will stop at nothing to bring Sofía back, even as time is breaking around him.

This book is written primarily in Bo's POV, though every now and then a chapter is written from Phoebe's POV. Phoebe is Bo's younger sister, a workaholic and very driven. She's a senior in high school who has excellent grades and is so "normal" compared to Bo. At first I didn't care for Phoebe's chapters, because I wanted to get to Bo's. But then I started seeing why Phoebe's side of things is so important. And her chapters always made sense, whereas Bo's sometimes didn't (especially towards the end). I felt bad for Phoebe, at times! She felt trapped in her house, and sometimes jealous of Bo's freedom. If only she knew...

It wasn't hard to like Bo, or to really feel for him. He loved - loves - Sofía, and his determination to get her back is impressive. He likes it at Berkshire, and feels comfortable there. The group that lives with him specifically within the school is made up of five people - Bo, Sofía, Ryan, Gwen, and Harold. Everyone at the school has some sort of ability, and Bo's is time travel. Sofía's is invisibility. Ryan's is telekinesis. Gwen's is pyrokinesis. Harold's is the ability to see and hear and communicate with the dead.

Time-traveling back to 1692 when Bo accidentally left Sofía is near impossible for Bo. He doesn't have control over his powers, and he never has privacy, with the government officials there to investigate Sofía's death, and Bo's parents constantly hovering. I was anxious to see the first time Bo traveled back in time. I was not disappointed!

This book is sort of told with visits to the past, but not really flashbacks, if that makes sense. Sofía is "dead" at the beginning of the book, and so all of Bo and Sofía's relationship is shown to us readers via the past, as well as Bo remembering times with her. Sometimes he visits her in the past. A lot of times, he daydreams or remembers scenes that he shared with her. They had a sweet relationship, and it was almost tragic to experience it.

A point to make about the romance - since Bo is trying to get Sofía back to present time, there isn't any romance happening in the present. We get to see Bo and Sofía's relationship from the past, sure. And Bo trying to get Sofía back is driven by his love for her. But there is little physical romance in this book!

I'm going to honest - I knew this book dealt with the paranormal (i.e. time travel, and the other superpowers), but I didn't realize how thoroughly entrenched the mental illnesses and health issues were, in the story. Usually I'm not one for those types of books, but I love how Revis worked Bo's mental health into this story. Absolutely loved it.

There were several twists to this story that, even if you anticipate them, they were incredibly and shocking to read and unfold. About a third of the way in, I had a good idea of what I thought was going on... and that was exactly what was happening. But Revis tells the story in such a way that we see everything from Bo's eyes, so genuinely.

I thought the ending was going to be morbid! It was and it wasn't. The ending was uplifting in a way, and I definitely liked it. The story in general was equal parts sad and beautiful, and I'm so glad I gave this book a chance. I knew nothing of the story, but I have no regrets!

What I Did Not Like:

The only thing I might say is that towards the end, things got a little too confusing. Bo starts to lose track of what is real and what is not, and he starts to lose time. We have Phoebe's POV to balance out the storm in Bo's head and life, but I was a bit confused at times, towards the end of the book. Which, realistically, made sense, as to why I was confused. You'll have to read the book to know what I mean! Confusing in a good way, I suppose.

Would I Recommend It:

If you like psychological thrillers, this is definitely a book for you. And if you like this one, try Vicarious by Paula Stokes (or vice versa). A World Without You was sweet and heartbreaking, intriguing and thrilling. It was bizarre, and untangling reality and perception was mind-blowing. All in all, a fascinating and enjoyable read!

Rating:

4 stars. I was very surprised by this book, its content and story! I didn't know much about it before starting to read it, so everything was completely fresh to me. I hadn't even really read the synopsis! Going into a book blind is the best, sometimes. And it was perfect, with THIS type of book!

Author Website | Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes and Noble

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

Review: The Body Electric by Beth Revis

The Body Electric by Beth Revis

Publication Date: October 6, 2014

Rating: 2 stars

Source: eARC from NetGalley

Summary (from Goodreads):

The future world is at peace.

Ella Shepherd has dedicated her life to using her unique gift—the ability to enter people’s dreams and memories using technology developed by her mother—to help others relive their happy memories.

But not all is at it seems.

Ella starts seeing impossible things—images of her dead father, warnings of who she cannot trust. Her government recruits her to spy on a rebel group, using her ability to experience—and influence—the memories of traitors. But the leader of the rebels claims they used to be in love—even though Ella’s never met him before in her life. Which can only mean one thing…

Someone’s altered her memory.

Ella’s gift is enough to overthrow a corrupt government or crush a growing rebel group. She is the key to stopping a war she didn't even know was happening. But if someone else has been inside Ella’s head, she cannot trust her own memories, thoughts, or feelings.

So who can she trust?

What I Liked:

This is December's Pili-Pushed novel! To read all of my reviews of books recommended by Pili at In Love With Handmade, browse the "Pili-Pushed" tag of my blog! I've enjoyed the books she's recommended to me so far... to be honest, I expected to love this one, because I love Beth Revis's debut series.

First, let me state that I am a HUGE fan of Beth Revis. I loved her Across the Universe books - Across the Universe was my favorite book of 2011. When I heard about the self-publication of The Body Electric, I was thrilled! A new Revis book! More science fiction! We need more science fiction in the Young Adult age level. However, unfortunately, this book fell flat for me. 

Ella's father worked on a revolutionary creation - until he was killed. He was trying to create a human brain, but the problem with that is that you can create it, but you can't force it to think, like humans do. In a world of androids and bots and advanced technology, this creation would be revolutionary. As the government knew. Ella's mother created Reverie, in which one person could delve into another person's mind, while that person was in a dreamlike state. But Ella slowly realizes that something is wrong with her. Her memories are not complete, which she starts to understand when she meets someone from her past, a past that she doesn't remember.

What worked for me: the world-building, for one. I love how Revis constructs and builds the setting of this novel. It's very futuristic, with highly advanced technology, such as androids and robots and clones and things. Ella's parents are obviously scientific geniuses, but the whole planet is full of amazing science.

Revis did a good job of setting up the conflict and mystery. I wondered where she was going with certain things (like the bees, and Ella's hallucinations, and Jack), which is good... except in the end, it didn't really work for me. But initially, I liked the mystery of things. 

Read on for things I didn't like... unfortunately, there were a lot of them.

What I Did Not Like:

Blaaahhh. This makes me so sad. I didn't like Ella, I didn't like the science fiction aspect of this book (though the world-building was great), I didn't like the romance, I didn't like the mystery, and I was a bit confused (says the ENGINEERING major... keep in mind, I'm well-versed in things like statics and mechanics and physics and things like that).

I didn't like Ella. From the start, I had a feeling I wouldn't like her. I found her behavior, initially, very childlike, and in the end, she was still not as mature as I would have hoped. I can't put my finger on it, but something about her was so immature and childlike and naive and stupid. This persona dictated her decisions. I don't think she's very tough or smart at all - mostly, she's running and hiding or doing rash, stupid things.

I didn't like the science fiction of the book. Don't get me wrong, I thought it was cool at first... until I realized that not much made sense. It's hard to describe this without spoiling things. But like, the whole cyclone thing doesn't make sense. It's clones don't feel, then, how do, um, certain people, feel? Like, love and comfort and whatnot?

And why is Ella NOW seeing the hallucinations of her father? I'm not entirely sure what the trigger was. Why was she seeing her father NOW? I can *kind of* extrapolate why she's able to see him in general, but I'm not sure of the WHY NOW. Even the WHY is sketchy.

The hallucinations in general - the bees, for example - were not really explained either, as to why they were occurring now. It wasn't too frustrating at first, because I figured it would all be explained later, but as I kept reading I kept getting more frustrated, and I realized that I would get no real answers. And I never did. 

I didn't like the romance. I can't say much specifically about it, because that's some serious spoiler-ness, but I didn't like it. I didn't like the introduction, the progression, the backstory, nothing. Ella and the boy just did NOT work for me. I didn't think Ella liked him from the start, so when she magically started dancing to his tune, I wasn't really buying it. 

I liked Jack, but I found him to be very one-dimensional. I couldn't relate to him, I didn't find him heroic or swoonworthy or all that great. He just wasn't a developed enough character for me. 

I mentioned the mystery of things, as well as my confusion. Well, yeah, I was confused towards the end of this book. I LIKE science fiction. I have a head for it, and usually, I have no problems keeping up. I'm an engineering major - heavy on the math AND science - so it's my LIFE to keep up with these things. But I don't think Revis did the best job with the science. Like, the thing about the cyclones. I can't go into specifics, but if you really think about what Revis was trying to create, it doesn't quite make sense with what she set up in the world.

I didn't like the ending at all. Certain things were revealed, and I was all like, wtf? It felt like such a cop out, the easy way to explain things. Things that weren't even fully explained. The constant use of reveries in the end didn't seem right. The ending, in terms of Ella, and Jack, and Ms. White, and Ella's mother, just didn't sit well with me, and didn't make sense scientifically. Someone write a scientific paper on clones and these "cyclones" and then I'll be more open to the idea of these.

Obviously, a lot of my problems revolved around me not really buying the science of this book. But I also didn't like protagonist (which is a problem) or the love interest (that's really all he was, if so much), or the story. 

Would I Recommend It:

Not really. I mean, it's gotten good reviews so far, but I personally didn't like this new book by Revis. Her Across the Universe series is REALLY GOOD though. So. There's that.

Rating:

2 stars. Meh. I tried, okay? I love Beth Revis, and I'll give any of her books a shot!

Author Website | Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes and Noble

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

YA2U - Bringing YA to You!

Have you ever wished that a big YA book tour would make a stop in your hometown? Well, here's your chance for that wish to come true! YA2U is a program that features five award-winning and best-selling authors who are holding a contest to see what city they should visit in an exclusive tour stop!

The authors are collecting votes from January 1 to February 15, and any city in the continental US or any Canadian city that has an international airport can win an exclusive visit from all five authors, including an author panel and book signing! Entering is super easy--and if you help spread the word about the contest, you can also enter win a signed copy of all of their books (TEN signed books in total!)--and the book contest is open internationally!

The authors in the program are:

• Marie Lu, the New York Times best-selling author of Legend and the upcoming Prodigy
• Marissa Meyer, the New York Times best-selling author of Cinder and the upcoming Scarlet
• Beth Revis, the New York Times best-selling author of Across the Universe, A Million Suns, and the upcoming Shades of Earth
• Victoria Schwab, author of The Near Witch and the highly-anticipated upcoming The Archived
• Megan Shepherd, author of the debut novel The Madman's Daughter

And they want to have an event in your home town! To participate, just got to the YA2U website and let them know what city you want them to come to. And while you're there, help spread the word about the contest and you can be entered to win all of their books--TEN signed books in total! 

Here's why the YA2U Team should come to MY hometown! 

Baltimore, MD

(actually, it's Reisterstown, but Baltimore is close and large enough)

Well, isn't Baltimore known as THE CITY THAT READS?

(YUP. Look it up HERE)

 

 (Picture found HERE)

So, it would make total sense if authors came to Baltimore!

Also, we have the Inner Harbor! The Walters Art Museum! The National Aquarium! The Shot Tower! Other historic sites! The BATLIMORE RAVENS!!!

We have the Domino Sugar plant, the oldest Catholic church, some of the oldest synagogues, Johna Hopkins University and Johns Hopkins Hospital...

(Picture found HERE)

Why should the YA2U Team come to your hometown? Why not join in the fun today and share with others about this program and your hometown. The more votes your town gets, the closer you are to having your very own personal tour stop! Vote for YOUR town here!

And if you help spread the word, you can also participate in the book giveaway. Tell them that you learned about YA2U from me and we both get extra entries in the contest! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review: A Million Suns by Beth Revis

A Million Suns by Beth Revis

Book Two of the Across the Universe Trilogy

Publisher: Razorbill

Publication Date: January 10, 2012

Rating: 5 stars

Source: won a giveaway HERE

I won a signed copy of book from author C.J. Redwine's blog shortly after its release in early 2012, which was very exciting for me, because I thoroughly enjoyed Across the Universe. I was apprehensive, because of my high expectations, as well as because of the mysterious sophomore slump, in which sequels do not live up to their smashing starting novel. I have to say (and you can tell by my rating), A Million Suns exceeded my expectations and beyond - if I could give it more stars, I would.

Summary (because Amazon):

GODSPEED WAS FUELED BY LIES. NOW IT IS RULED BY CHAOS.

It's been three months since Amy was unplugged. The life she always knew is over. Everywhere she looks, she sees the walls of the spaceship Godspeed.

But there may just be hope: Elder has assumed leadership of the ship. He's finally free to act on his vision--no more Phydus, no more lies.

When Elder learns shocking news about the ship, he and Amy must race to discover the truth behind life on Godspeed. They must work together to unlock a mystery that was set in motion hundreds of years earlier. Their success--or failure--will determine the fate of the 2,298 passengers who remain aboard Godspeed. But with each step, the journey becomes more perilous, the ship more chaotic, and love between them more impossible to fight.

Beth Revis catapulted readers into the far reaches of space with her New York Times bestselling debut, Across the Universe. In A Million Suns, Beth deepens the mystery with action, suspense, romance, and deep philosophical questions. And this time it all builds to one mind-bending conclusion: THEY HAVE TO GET OFF THIS SHIP.

What I Liked: 

First, it just gets more and more twisted as it goes! Ms. Revis knows how to spin a plot around and around to keep readers guessing! I do not want to mention specifics, but seriously, this book just kept getting better and better. 

And for those of you that, like me, liked the small hints of romance in Across the Universe, and wanted to see more, you will. Amy and Elder do not do anything irresponsible (just saying), but their relationship changes dramatically, as Elder assumes the role of Eldest. 

A fair warning: there is so much death in this book! Ms. Revis has no mercy! I am almost terrified to read Shades of Earth! But at the same time, I am so excited. The ending of A Million Suns was crazy! Trust me when I say, this book did NOT undergo the sophomore slump. Ms. Revis has created a masterpiece of a sequel.

What I Did Not Like: 

Like I said in my review of Across the Universe, not much was there that I did not like. I was glad to see the alternating points of view still consistent throughout the novel. There is still no love triangle (YAY!). And the science part of science makes sense. 

I guess a complaint I have is that I now own the pretty, shiny hardcover books of Across the Universe and A Million Suns, and Shades of Earth is that drab green. I hate it when publishers change the covers on readers, especially when there is only one book left in the series! And the paperback versions of Across the Universe and A Million Suns, with the ice blue and glowing yellow covers, respectively, are smaller than the original hardcovers, in terms of size of the actual book (not word or page count). That bothers me, because Shades of Earth will most likely be smaller as well. Which sucks, but I love this series, so I can deal with it.

Would I Recommend It: 

Yes, yes, yes! It is so worth your time and money to continue this series, especially if you are a crazy science fiction fan like me, and if you are rooting for Amy and Elder as a couple, and as two people trying to find harmony in their small world.

Rating: 

5 stars (and more if I could give it more!)

Author Blog | Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes and Noble

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

Review: Across the Universe by Beth Revis

Across the Universe by Beth Revis

Book One of the Across the Universe trilogy

Publisher: Razorbill

Publication Date: January 11, 2011

Rating: 5 stars
Source: Gift 

I actually read Across the Universe in early 2011, just a couple of months after it came out. It instantly became one of my favorite books at the time, and by the end of 2011, my favorite book of the year. It is still one of my favorite books of all time. I love science fiction so much, and Beth Revis is a master at weaving science fiction and a genius plot together.

Summary (from Amazon):

WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO SURVIVE ABOARD A SPACESHIP FUELED BY LIES?

Amy is a cryogenically frozen passenger aboard the spaceship Godspeed. She has left her boyfriend, friends--and planet--behind to join her parents as a member of Project Ark Ship. Amy and her parents believe they will wake on a new planet, Centauri-Earth, three hundred years in the future. But fifty years before Godspeed's scheduled landing, cryo chamber 42 is mysteriously unplugged, and Amy is violently woken from her frozen slumber.

Someone tried to murder her.

Now, Amy is caught inside an enclosed world where nothing makes sense. Godspeed's 2,312 passengers have forfeited all control to Eldest, a tyrannical and frightening leader. And Elder, Eldest's rebellious teenage heir, is both fascinated with Amy and eager to discover whether he has what it takes to lead.

Amy desperately wants to trust Elder. But should she put her faith in a boy who has never seen life outside the ship's cold metal walls? All Amy knows is that she and Elder must race to unlock Godspeed's hidden secrets before whoever woke her tries to kill again.

What I Liked: 

Better yet - what did I NOT like?! This book was so, so good on so many different levels. For one, it is plot-driven, which I find rarely well done in Young Adult literature these days. Too much emphasis is now put on the main character (usually a female) and her love interests.

This book has a light sprinkle of romance, and NO LOVE TRIANGLE (want me to put that on blast? Because it is one of the things I absolutely LOVE about this book). I hate love triangles in books, and for this book not to have a long triangle was amazing.

I also loved the alternating points of view throughout the story. We get to read Amy's point of view, and then Elder's point of view. I like Elder's point of view more, but only because he has such an interesting way of thinking.

As I already said, I love the science fiction of this book. The genetic engineering, cryogenics, physics, astronomy... this book is so up my alley. It was the first good Young Adult book that dealt with space that I actually found very interesting and not boring. And did I mention that there is no love triangle? And light romance? No overkill or insta-love? And the world-building? And the TWISTS?! I have already read the second book, so I am not going to say anything else

What I Did Not Like: 

Really, there's not much. I feel like I am a harsh critic with books, but this I found little fault with this book. Perhaps some people may find it slow-paced, but I thought that the slow pace was necessary in order to get a feel of Ms. Revis's fabulous world-building.

Would I Recommend It: 

YES! Buy it right now. Or, do like me, and borrow it from the library first, fall in love with it, and ask for it for your birthday. It is so worth it.

Rating:

5 stars. One of my favorite books of all time.

Author Blog | Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes and Noble

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