Review: The Fear Trials by Lindsey Cummings (Tour Stop)

The Fear Trials (The Murder Complex 0.5)

by Lindsay Cummings

Publisher: HarperTeen Impulse

Release Date: May 27th 2014
Rate: 4

Synopsis:

Meadow Woodson has been trained to survive. This is a prequel to The Murder Complex, by Lindsay Cummings, and it is set in a blood-soaked world where the murder rate is higher than the birth rate. For fans of Moira Young's Dust Lands series, La Femme Nikita, and the movie Hanna.

Meadow Woodson's father calls it The Fear Trials, and it is a rite of passage in their family. Meadow is up against her brother Koi. The Fear Trials will both harden her and make her brave. If Meadow wins, she will get a weapon of her own and the right to leave the Woodsons' houseboat without her father or mother at her side. Set in the violent, complex, and mysterious world of The Murder Complex, and introducing Meadow Woodson—a teenage girl trained to survive no matter what the cost—and her family, who are together for the last time on their houseboat in the Florida Everglades.

I have only just finished reading The Fear Trials and I'm already eager to join fanclubs, buy t-shirts, and completely fangirl over everything relating to that series.

Yeah, it's that exciting.

The Fear Trials is a prequel novella to The Murder Complex series, which sets up the dark and dangerous world of Meadow Woodsen (which, I must point out, is a name that I absolutely love). In the Shallow, murder is as common as shaking hands, and "kill or be killed" isn't just a motto - it's life. Living in a place like this, the only way to survive is choke some moral senses down and fight, not allowing yourself to be controlled by fear.

This novella allows us to first get inside Meadow's head, and see the struggle that she faces with controlling her fear. Not only must she train until makes herself a monster, she must also accept herself when realizing that the monster may have already been there.

I feel that so many novels today focus on the relationships between friends or lovers, and not as many really keep a strong grounding in family. It was so refreshing to see a character whose family matters more to them than just about anyone else. I loved the relationship between Meadow and her sister - as it was so honest and realistic. No matter what words may be exchanged, at the end of the day, most of us would do just about anything for our families. All of the characters were strong, even the few introduced that were outside of the family, and had their own unique personalities that made them seem more real.

The Fear Trials is absolutely riveting from the start to the finish. With a strong voice, beautiful imagery, and a pace that just won't let readers go, you will be thrust into this world of danger and taken for a wild ride. I reveled in the dark tone while reading, and loved all of the nonstop action. After devouring this novella like I needed to for survival, I cannot wait to get my hands on The Murder Complex and continue the story. I have no doubt that this will shape into one of the best YA series I've read.

          

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iTunes | Bookdepository | Kobo

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iTunes | Kobo

Follow the FFBC The Murder Complex + Fear Trials blog tour and don't miss anything! Click on the banner to see the tour schedule.

Lindsay Cummings is the 20-year-old author of THE MURDER COMPLEX, as well as its sequel, coming 2014 from Greenwillow Books/HarperCollins, and the MG trilogy THE BALANCE KEEPERS, coming Fall 2014 from Katherine Tegen Books/HarperCollins.

Lindsay deals with chronic fatigue, can’t get enough of her two pesky German Shepherds, wolf cub, and two horses. She's still waiting on her letter from Hogwarts--it was probably just lost in the mail. You can follow Lindsay on twitter @lindsaycwrites

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Review: The Verona Trilogy by Lory S. Kaufman

BOOK #1 of The Verona Trilogy: Young Adult, Post-Dystopian Fiction It's the 24th century and humans, with the help of artificial intelligences (A.I.s), have finally created the perfect post-dystopian society. To make equally perfect citizens for this world, the elders have created History Camps, full sized recreations of cities from Earth's distant pasts. Here teens live the way their ancestors did, doing the same dirty jobs and experiencing the same degradations. History Camps teach youths not to repeat the mistakes that almost caused the planet to die. But not everything goes to plan. In this first of a trilogy, we meet three spoiled teens in the year 2347. Hansum almost 17, is good looking and athletic. Shamira, 15, is sassy, independent and an artistic genius. Lincoln, 14, is the smart-aleck. But you don't have to scratch too far beneath the surface to find his insecurities. These three "hard cases" refuse the valuable lessons History Camps teach. But when they are kidnapped and taken back in time to 1347 Verona, Italy, they only have two choices; adapt to the harsh medieval ways or die. The dangers are many, their enemies are powerful, and safety is a long way away. It's hardly the ideal environment to fall in love - but that's exactly what happens. In an attempt to survive, the trio risks introducing technology from the future. It could save them - or it could change history. 

 Hansum, Shamira and Lincoln, three teens from the 24th-century, are trapped in 14th-century Verona, Italy. They’ve survived many deadly experiences by keeping their wits about them and by introducing futuristic technology into the past. Principal among these inventions is the telescope, which brought them to the attention to the rich and powerful.But standing out can get you into unexpected and dangerous situations. The nobles of Verona now believe Hansum is a savant, a genius inventor, especially after he brings them plans for advanced cannons and black powder. Being the center of attention is great, but the potential for trouble is now exponentially greater because people are watching Hansum’s every move.
Meanwhile, artistic genius Shamira has fallen for a Florentine artist with bloody and disasterous consequences. Lincoln, considered an incompetent back home in the 24th-century, has blossomed – at least until he’s shot in the head with an arrow. And Hansum, after secretly marrying his new master’s beautiful daughter, Guilietta, is offered the hand in marriage of lady Beatrice, daughter of the ruler of Verona. To refuse could mean calamity for all the teens.Amazingly, none of this is their biggest challenge. Because a rash illness is spreading across Verona – and it is threatening to consume everyone.Do they have a future in this past?

They are three time travelers desperate to return to 14th-century Verona to reclaim their medieval family s shattered lives. It is a mission fraught with danger and the risk of unexpected consequences for themselves and for their worlds. For all three, it is a matter of the heart. For one, though, it is truly the only thing that matters, as the fate of his eternal love and the life of their unborn child is the prize to be won or lost forever. In this, the final book of THE VERONA TRILOGY, Hansum, Shamira and Lincoln go on the boldest adventure of their lives. They will face hardship, tragedy, and threats from sources they couldn t have imagined all in an effort to wrestle a future from the steely grip of an unforgiving past.

Where to buy the books:

Amazon

Barnes & Nobles

Book Depository

Indigo Chapters

 

 

My Ratings:

  The Lens and the Looker: 3.5

The Bronze and the Brimstone: 3.5

The Loved and the Lost: 3

My Review:

 

The Verona Trilogy is a wonderful YA series that will impress and entertain from start to finish. The concept was more intriguing than I expected. The novels combine a post-dystopian society with 14th century Verona. It really is the best of both worlds - and both are built well.

The post-dystopian world is incredibly interesting to read about. It is similar enough to our own lives that we can still easily connect to the situation of the characters, despite all of the technological advancements that still exist. The whole idea of the "History Camps" was great to read about. (And I know it didn't always seem like the greatest, but I don't think that idea is all too bad. I mean, living in historical situations really seemed to get the right idea across.) All of the new twenty-fourth century technology was fantastic to read about. My favorite was probably the genie intelligence - as not only was Pan an example of the advanced technology, but a fantastic personality.

The characters, including Pan, are all incredibly strong and easy to relate to. It's hard to imagine how one would react to being taken from their home and being put in an entirely new world. But Hansum, Shamira and Lincoln seem to have fairly understandable reactions. They really grew throughout the series, being constantly shaped by their experiences, and that was fun to read.

In contrast, I loved the historical setting of 14th century Verona. Having visited Verona twice, the city holds a very special place in my heart. Although I have never been therein the 1300's, Kaufman manages to capture the magic of the city within the pages of the novel. The lenscrafting (or disc-of-the-eyes-crafting) really added to the setting. I didn't really think of eyeglasses being made in that time period, and it was cool to learn about the process. 

Another thing I really loved was the parallels to Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet (with their names true to their Italian lineage). The connection was clearly intended, which made an interesting addition to the plot. It makes sense too. I mean, when in Verona... Even without the romance between Romero (Hansum) and Guilietta, the plot would still be completely enjoyable. There were twists, although some portions could be a little long. The addition of the historical inventions earlier in the world's timeline made an interesting twist in regular historical fiction (as well as time travel as a whole).

The Lens and the Looker was a wonderful start to a series. It really grabbed my attention and kept it through the final page. The Bronze and the Brimstone continued the intrigue, even if the plot moved a bit slower, to fantastically conclude with The Loved and the Lost. All in all, a very exciting series that both fans of science fiction/dystopia and historical fiction fans alike will devour.

 

 

Review: Caught in the Crossfire by Juliann Rich (Tour Stop)

  Young Adult GLBTQ
Date Published: 6/16/2014
Two boys at bible camp. One Forbidden love.
That’s the dilemma Jonathan Cooper faces when he goes away to Spirit Lake Bible Camp, situated along Minnesota’s rugged north shore, for a summer of fun. He is expecting mosquito bites, bonfires with S’Mores, and photography classes with Simon, his favorite counselor who always helps him see life in perfect focus.
What he isn’t expecting is Ian McGuire, a new camper who openly argues against phrases like pray the gay away. Ian is certain of many things, including what could happen between them if only Jonathan could surrender to his feelings.
Jonathan, however, tosses in a storm of indecision between his belief in God and his inability to stay away from Ian. When a real storm hits and Ian is lost in it, Jonathan is forced to make a public decision that changes his life.


MY RATING
4


MY REVIEW
With summer finally here (or just about here) who can resist a good camp story? Caught in the Crossfire is the camp story that actually matters, because the novel goes into the exact kinds of problem that people face today. Despite the fact that many of us would like to believe humanity is past this, there is plenty of discrimination based on sexual orientation. A significant chuck of it comes from extreme religious beliefs. Not only does Caught in the Crossfire give a firsthand account on this issue, but the novel shows a solution. I loved the fact that, instead of completely shutting down the opposing side, Rich uses the situation to describe how Christian beliefs and homosexuality can coexist in harmony, even if an ideal like that may take time.
Jonathan is a wonderful protagonist and a very likeable character. He isn't always sure of himself, as most of us are not, which makes him easy to relate to. Sometimes, he acts before really thinking, but his heart is in the right place and that makes him more human. He has a very strong voice that really shines throughout the novel. I loved being able to see him grow throughout the story and slowly learn to accept himself.
The relationship between Jonathan and Ian was incredibly sweet (although it did get pretty steamy). There's just something about those forbidden loves...and the two boys really give readers a great one. The progression of the relationship felt very natural, and was exciting to get into.
From the beginning to the open, yet satisfying end, Caught in the Crossfire is a beautiful tale of love and acceptance. It is not a long nor difficult read, yet it has the kind of message that everyone should experience. I loved the pacing and really loved the dialogue, and definitely think that this is one to look for.