[Blog Tour: Review + Giveaway] The Kings of Charleston by Kat H. Clayton

 

(Check out the rest of the stops HERE)

 

 

Title: The Kings of Charleston (The Kings of Charleston #1)

Author: Kat H. Clayton
Release Date: July 10, 2012

Goodreads

Casper Whitley is forced to move to Charleston, South Carolina where she’ll be the new kid her senior year of high school. Casper’s upset about the move until she meets the Roman family’s gorgeous son, Cal, but there’s a problem. A mystery surrounds him which can be summed up in one word…Kythera. Never heard of it? Neither has Casper until she finds the word tattooed on cars, paintings and all her new friends.

After Casper’s life is threatened, someone is forced to tell the truth about her parents, the Romans and Kythera’s motives for her being in Charleston. Once the truth is revealed, she must decide whether to protect her family and Kythera’s secrets or walk away from everything she has ever known.

THOUGHTS:

It's been quite a while since I've read something so laced with suspense yet doesn't fall under the genres of paranormal or dystopia. I wasn't exactly sure what to expect when I picked up this book, but suffice to say I was more than impressed and overwhelmed by what I read. The mystery element thoroughly enriched the novel, and helped set it apart from other YA reads - quite frankly, I don't think I'll be forgetting this novel any time soon. I finished it in one sitting, and the reason is simple, really - the first few pages had me hooked right from the beginning, and Clayton's writing is just tremendous!

I enjoyed reading about our MC, Casper. It took me a while before I warmed to her character though - I know that she isn't comfortable with her lifestyle, but all the complaints about wearing expensive dresses and having her pictures taken all the time got a bit annoying, to say the least. Thankfully, this impression of mine didn't last. After reading more about Casper, it was hard not to notice how lonely she was in reality, and how she wasn't comfortable with throwing her wealth around. Moreover, her love for horses made it difficult to not like her, and I couldn't help but feel sorry for her when she was uprooted from the life she has always know at the blink of an eye.

The mystery of Kythera makes itself known pretty early in the novel. It made the novel thoroughly engrossing, and it is the reason why I couldn't read this particular novel quick enough. Kythera is everywhere  in the town of Charleston, and Casper is bombarded by it - the name is on her friends' cars, on paintings, and even tattooed on her friends' bodies. Not only that, this very word also managed to inspire terror from the other people who live in Charleston, and Casper somehow finds herself in the middle of the mystery of Kythera - just what is it, and what does it have to do with Casper and her family?

While the mystery of Kythera had me on the edge of my seat and tearing through the pages of The Kings of Charleston  like a madwoman, I wasn't that thrilled with the romance aspect of this novel. It came out of nowhere - Casper sets foot on the town of the Charleston for the very first time, and next thing we know, the neighbors' son, Cal, is spewing out all these lines how Casper is so beautiful and all that. Truth be told, the romance felt out of place, and as much as I tried to like Cal's character, I couldn't. He's too smooth, too slick, and basically an enigma. Not to mention, he's something of a liar as well. Lastly, he says he loves Casper, but I can't fathom how he came to that feeling in the first place.

From the middle of the novel, the action picks up, and it doesn't relent until the very end. Casper is thrown into hazardous situations one after the other, and it soon becomes clear that Kythera isn't your average organization. All in all, this is one heck of an exciting read, and I definitely recommend it!

GIVEAWAY:

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[Blog Tour: Review] Breaking Point by Kristen Simmons

 

Title: Breaking Point (Article 5 #2)

Author: Kristen Simmons
Release Date: February, 2013

Publisher: Tor Teen

Source: A copy was sent by the publisher for a blog tour

Goodreads

The second installment in Kristen Simmons's fast-paced, gripping YA dystopian series.

After faking their deaths to escape from prison, Ember Miller and Chase Jennings have only one goal: to lay low until the Federal Bureau of Reformation forgets they ever existed.

Near-celebrities now for the increasingly sensationalized tales of their struggles with the government, Ember and Chase are recognized and taken in by the Resistance—an underground organization working to systematically take down the government. At headquarters, all eyes are on the sniper, an anonymous assassin taking out FBR soldiers one by one. Rumors are flying about the sniper’s true identity, and Ember and Chase welcome the diversion….

Until the government posts its most-wanted list, and their number one suspect is Ember herself.

Orders are shoot to kill, and soldiers are cleared to fire on suspicion alone. Suddenly Ember can’t even step onto the street without fear of being recognized, and “laying low” is a joke. Even members of the Resistance are starting to look at her sideways.

With Chase urging her to run, Ember must decide: Go into hiding…or fight back?

THOUGHTS:

Wow. Just when I thought that this series couldn't get any better, Simmons proves me wrong by creating a kick-ass, unforgettable sequel!

What I loved the most about Article 5, the previous book in the series, is the non-stop action, and I'm happy to note that Breaking Point doesn't disappoint in that aspect. In this novel, we have Ember and Chase in the thick of things - now that they are part of The Resistance, things are different. In Article 5, Ember and Chase's main goal was to protect themselves and ensure their own safety, but now that they a part of a larger group, that mindset wouldn't work anymore. They have to contribute to the cause - to the resistance - and despite Ember's initial yearning to keep her head down in hiding, she learns that that isn't something can do. Furthermore, things take a turn for the worse when the FBR pinpoints Ember as a primary suspect in the sniper shootings that have been occurring as of late.

I consider myself a huge fan of Ember, and I'm completely at how spot on Simmons was in portraying this character. In the first few pages of Breaking Point, we are privy to an Ember who is skittish, frightened, and is determined to keep her nose out of the thick of things. She hasn't left the Resistance's compound in months, and she's content with simply hiding. Things obviously don't stay that way for long, but I love how Simmons made sure that we would notice the subtle transition in Ember's mindset between staying out of trouble and finally deciding to stand up and fight back. The writing for this particular character never felt forced - Ember's extremely relateable, and it's rather difficult not to sympathize with her after all the horrible things she has experienced and is currently going through.

I've previously mentioned that the world-building in Article 5 is a bit lacking, but we get to learn some important details about the FBR - the aftermath of the war that gave birth to it; the president spearheading this government; and of course, the citizens' growing displeasure of the Moral Statutes - in Breaking Point. In the same light, we also learn more about the members of The Resistance, and just how they are willing to do absolutely anything - even at the expense of their lives - just to overthrow the FBR. Knowing all about these characters, their motives, as well as factoids here and there about this world they live in, just makes you appreciate the story all the more so.

I loved how Simmons made sure to develop on the characters of Ember and Chase, as well as their relationship. We all know that their relationship can never be perfect because of their rocky past, but this time, Chase's overpowering desire to protect Ember also strains their relationship. Add in the fact that Chase carries on his shoulders the guilt of what happened to Ember's mother, and that Ember still wonders whether Chase truly couldn't do anything to save her mother. Suffice to say the two have a messy, chaotic relationship, but there is no other person whom Ember trusts more than Chase, and the same goes for Chase. Simmons did an amazing job in developing this relationship, and we truly get to know more about these characters throughout this novel.

I can't say this enough - if you haven't started this series yet, you should do so now. The writing is excellent; the plot fast-paced; the characters developed thoroughly - what else could you ask for?

Rating: 4 Stars

[Blog Tour: Review] Article 5 by Kristen Simmons

 

Title: Article 5 (Article 5 #1)

Author: Kristen Simmons
Release Date: January 31, 2012

Publisher: Tor Teen

Source: A copy was sent by the publisher for a blog tour

Goodreads

New York, Los Angeles, and Washington, D.C., have been abandoned.

The Bill of Rights has been revoked, and replaced with the Moral Statutes.

There are no more police—instead, there are soldiers. There are no more fines for bad behavior—instead, there are arrests, trials, and maybe worse. People who get arrested usually don't come back.

Seventeen-year-old Ember Miller is old enough to remember that things weren't always this way. Living with her rebellious single mother, it's hard for her to forget that people weren't always arrested for reading the wrong books or staying out after dark. It's hard to forget that life in the United States used to be different.

Ember has perfected the art of keeping a low profile. She knows how to get the things she needs, like food stamps and hand-me-down clothes, and how to pass the random home inspections by the military. Her life is as close to peaceful as circumstances allow.

That is, until her mother is arrested for noncompliance with Article 5 of the Moral Statutes. And one of the arresting officers is none other than Chase Jennings—the only boy Ember has ever loved.

THOUGHTS:

I'm not usually fond of Dystopian novels - other than the usual suspects (Hunger Games, Divergent, Delirium series), I think I've only read a few. I guess it has something to do with the world-building (or lack thereof) - to elaborate, whether or not the worlds presented by the authors are the least bit believable. When I read dystopian novels, it's a plus when I actually I see this world being the one where we live in in a few decades or so - do you guys get what I mean? And for me to think that, at least some facets of the created world must be plausible. Also, I think you guys ought to know by now just how much I hate info-overload when it occurs during the first few chapters of a particular novel. Anyway, the point is simple, really - if the world-building is off, there's just no way I can like the dystopian novel in question.

Given that I'm very picky when it comes to dystopians (is that even a word?), you guys should believe me when I say that Article 5 is GOOD, and that you all should read it. It usually takes me a LONG time to read dystopian novels (I usually can't stand reading them in one sitting because all the unnecessary details get on my nerves), but it took me only a few hours to read Article 5. And I finished it in one sitting, so there's that!

I'm not going to say that Article 5  is without faults, but I found those faults easy to overlook, and I don't think they'll bother anyone too much. (I think most people's complaints center around the main character, but I'll get to that later.) My biggest gripe probably is the lack of a more detailed back story. While I had no problem when it comes to how believable and how realistic the word created is (I truly can envision our would being rather similar to the world depicted in Article 5 if wars and such became more prevalent) I would have appreciated a more broad and encompassing approach while painting just how this said world came to be - just how exactly did everything become so horrible? Just what prompted the Bill of Rights to be deemed null and void?

What I liked the best about Article 5 is how fast-paced the plot is. There isn't any boring part in the novel - it's jaw-dropping action all the way, and I thoroughly enjoyed how I was on the edge of my seat while tearing through the pages as fast as humanely possible. I also enjoyed reading about the characters - yes, even Ember, our beloved MC. Truth be told, I loved how stubborn Ember was - I loved how she knew what she wanted, and that she was willing to do absolutely anything to get it. She wasn't easily derailed from her goals, and though she made illogical decision upon another, I can't help but admire her bravery to do the unthinkable. I don't think I have ever met a more determined character! It would have been so easy for her to do what she's told, but she's not easily distracted nor sidetracked from what she wants the most - to be reunited with her mother.

Never once did I think that the romance in this novel was forced, or that it just suddenly blew up in my face with no warning whatsoever. It was always there - you knew it was going to make itself known in one way or another. I liked how Chase calmed Ember down and slowly earned back her trust; and I love how it took a while for Ember to trust Chase, because he was one of the soldiers who took away her mom, after all. It wasn't just blind love and adoration for these two - they were initially wary of each other, but that slowly goes away as they spent more time together and talked. The flashbacks also gave a lot of depth to Ember and Chase's relationship, and I particularly enjoyed reading those parts.

As I have previously mentioned (a gazillion times, it seems), I don't usually enjoy dystopia as a genre, but I loved Article 5. I most definitely will be with Ember and Chase as they continue their journey, and I can't wait to dive into the sequel, Breaking Point! (I might just do that in 3, 2, 1...)

Rating: 4 Stars