Duet Review + Giveaway: Reboot by Amy Tintera

 

Duet review is a feature where I review a book along with my friend,Maliha.For more info. on this feature,check out my very first Duet Review post HERE.

Here's the book that we are going to review today.

Reboot by Amy Tintera 

Publication date: May 7th 2013 by HarperTeen

Blurb: Five years ago, Wren Connolly was shot three times in the chest. After 178 minutes she came back as a Reboot: stronger, faster, able to heal, and less emotional. The longer Reboots are dead, the less human they are when they return. Wren 178 is the deadliest Reboot in the Republic of Texas. Now seventeen years old, she serves as a soldier for HARC (Human Advancement and Repopulation Corporation).

Wren’s favorite part of the job is training new Reboots, but her latest newbie is the worst she’s ever seen. As a 22, Callum Reyes is practically human. His reflexes are too slow, he’s always asking questions, and his ever-present smile is freaking her out. Yet there’s something about him she can’t ignore. When Callum refuses to follow an order, Wren is given one last chance to get him in line—or she’ll have to eliminate him. Wren has never disobeyed before and knows if she does, she’ll be eliminated, too. But she has also never felt as alive as she does around Callum.

The perfect soldier is done taking orders.

 

MY REVIEW:

 

Rating: 3.5 of 5 Stars

**A copy of this book was provided by HarperCollins for review purposes.**

Reboot,for me,was a fun and thrilling dystopian read.I've been on a reading slump lately thanks to my finals and all the coachings I currently have to bear with my O'levels coming up,so reading this book helped a lot in easing up the pressure a bit.It's not like it's one of the best dystopians I've ever read( Hunger Games and Delirium are still on top of that list) but it did make my reading time a whole lot more fun!It had the promising amount of fast paced action and a limited amount of sweet romantic scenes which I think went well with the storyline.

The general idea of the resurrected dead being used by the government as soldiers because they don't know what else to do with them really got my mind wandering.If this idea was used in some sci-fi TV series or movie it would've been one heck of a show!Among the characters,the main character,Wren Connolly,was an absolute winner(I do love me some bad ass heroines!) and reminded me of another favourite protagonist of mine;Calaena Sardothien from Throne Of Glass.Though the different books have completely different time settings,their mindsets are so similar,it's like they could be sisters!

So anyway,moving on,while I did like Wren a lot,I couldn't say the same for Callum.He started out as an interesting character,but towards the end of the book,he lost his charm.The same goes for the plot.Everything was going so well until the last few chapters came out to be a bit less polished than the others.But overall the entire book was great and would sum up for a nice spare time read.Another thing about the book is that I found it really easy to proceed with.I frequently get bored of books halfway and put it on hold for a few days before I feel like reading it again.Reboot did not have any such outcome on me.I was able to finish Reboot in one sitting and gosh did that feel good!If you're a dystopia fan,particularly of The Hunger Games,this book just may be your perfect cup of tea!

MALIHA(@Anonymous Interests)'S REVIEW:

 

Rating: 3 of 5 Stars

Reboot was a short and fun read. It's like one of those post-apocalyptic books where humans die and "reboot" to become zombies. Only instead of being mindless hungry freaks, they are trained to become soldiers and used for the benefit of humans. Yes, the bad guys here are human.

When I read the blurb and it said the heroine had been dead for 178 minutes - longer than the average time, before she rebooted, and therefore had the least of emotions, I expected to read about a disconnected character who regains her humanity with a cure or something. Well, you can rest assured that the heroine is not like this, but just one snarky girl. She's insecure about her death but otherwise, a respected leader. No, this isn't one of those forbidden romance stories between a human and an undead, but both the hero and heroine are Reboots. Isn't that a nice change of concept?

Callum, oh Callum, with his sweet and funny and determined nature, became one of the most loyal and admirable heroes I've read. I felt so sorry for him when he faced his family.

One thing that irked me was the whole resistance thing - humans and Reboots working together to overthrow the evil human government. Must all dystopian books share this one idea? Whether it was original or not, I wish the couple had escaped for, you know, just because they wanted to. Just because they wanted to be together without killing anyone and following wrong orders. Not because they have to act in a rebellion. For just once, I wish to read about heroes and heroines who started a rebellion, not just participated and suddenly starred in it.

But the best part about this book was how the Reboots are. They're not dirty, boring half-dead creatures. Oh no, they've actually taken to the nature of vampires - no not the blood sucking or immortality part but just the becoming prettier and stronger part. This is a very amusing and original idea, that the undead are better than the humans! 

So while it may not be an irresistible book, it's definitely worth giving a try. I'm looking forward to the sequel eagerly!!

                                                        

 

 

GIVEAWAY!!!

 

If you buy Reboot(though it is not mandatory),you can enter to win a paperback of another Harper title,Towering by Alex Flinn(see my review HERE). This giveaway is international and please see the Terms And Conditions on the rafflecopter widget.Good Luck!!

Book Being Given Away:

Towering by Alex Flinn

 

At first, I merely saw his face, his hands on the window ledge. Then, his whole body as he swung himself through the window. Only I could not see what he swung on.

Until, one day, I told my dream self to look down. And it was then that I saw. He had climbed on a rope. I knew without asking that the rope had been one of my own tying.


Rachel is trapped in a tower, held hostage by a woman she’s always called Mama. Her golden hair is growing rapidly, and to pass the time, she watches the snow fall and sings songs from her childhood, hoping someone, anyone, will hear her.

Wyatt needs time to reflect or, better yet, forget about what happened to his best friend, Tyler. That’s why he’s been shipped off to the Adirondacks in the dead of winter to live with the oldest lady in town. Either that, or no one he knows ever wants to see him again.


Dani disappeared seventeen years ago without a trace, but she left behind a journal that’s never been read, not even by her overbearing mother…until now.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Review: Dying To Know You by Aidan Chambers

Dying To Know You by Aidan Chambers

My Rating: 5 of 5 Stars

Publication Date: 2 May 2013 by Definitions,part of Random House U.K (Originally published in 2012 by Amulet Books)

Blurb:  Karl, aged seventeen, is hopelessly in love. But the object of his affections, Firella, demands proof, and poses him a series of questions regarding his attitude to the many sides of love. But Karl is dyslexic, and convinced that if Firella finds out, she will think he is stupid, and unworthy of her, and leave him.

So Karl asks a local writer to help him construct his replies - and an unlikely, but extremely touching, friendship develops between the two men. They both come to learn a great deal about about life from a very different perspective, and when an act of violence shatters their calm, they find their respective appraisal of life shifting in profound ways.

 Buy the book HERE.

My Review:

**I received a copy of this book from Random House U.K in exchange for an honest review.**

As a book reviewer and a book blogger,my favourite part of the hobby is getting the opportunity to discover books and authors that I haven't heard of before.I came across Dying To Know You while browsing the Random House U.K website and the cover caught my attention.It's not like the usual YA covers with cool graphics or girls in dresses which does a good job in catching the attention of the age group the books are targeted at.The simplicity and the serene look of the cover got me really intrigued.And the blurb of course ( the one on the back of my copy is a different one),though it doesn't let on much of the story.

If you've read the blurb,you'll see that Karl gets in touch with Fiorella's favourite author to help him with answering the questions Fiorella sets for him.But the blurb does not give away anything on the fact that the entire story was told from that author's point of view,and instead of focusing much on Karl and Fiorella's relationship,the story shows the blooming of Karl's friendship with the author with time,and how this chance meeting helps them to become each other's most trusted confidantes.Through their friendship,the real author,Aidan Chambers,gives a wonderful insight of the pain of losing someone close, but then eventually letting go and moving forward with your life.And of course,discovering new loved ones to fill in the gap for the ones you have lost.

This book is one of the most unique contemporaries I've ever read,one that made me feel happy and sad at the same time.It is one of those books which,without reading, would leave your life incomplete.If you're a consistent book lover then you'll definitely know what I'm talking about as you're bound to come across a book which made you feel this way.So don't even think about missing out on this book if you're a contemporary fan or better yet,even if you're not one.

Though since there is a bit of suicidal and sexual reference in the book I'd recommend it for older readers.


Other Reviews for this Book: 

Buried In Books
So Many Books,So Little Time
Rather Be Reading


                                                       

Book Review: Towering by Alex Flinn

Towering by Alex Flinn

My Rating: 2.5 of 5 Stars

Publication Date: May 14th 2013 by HarperTeen

Blurb:  At first, I merely saw his face, his hands on the window ledge. Then, his whole body as he swung himself through the window. Only I could not see what he swung on.
Until, one day, I told my dream self to look down. And it was then that I saw. He had climbed on a rope. I knew without asking that the rope had been one of my own tying.

Rachel is trapped in a tower, held hostage by a woman she’s always called Mama. Her golden hair is growing rapidly, and to pass the time, she watches the snow fall and sings songs from her childhood, hoping someone, anyone, will hear her.

Wyatt needs time to reflect or, better yet, forget about what happened to his best friend, Tyler. That’s why he’s been shipped off to the Adirondacks in the dead of winter to live with the oldest lady in town. Either that, or no one he knows ever wants to see him again.

Dani disappeared seventeen years ago without a trace, but she left behind a journal that’s never been read, not even by her overbearing mother…until now. 

My Review:

**I received a copy of this book from HarperCollins in exchange for an honest review.**

Alex Flinn is the author of two of my all time favourite fairy tale re-tellings,A Kiss In Time and Bewitching.While I didn't like Beastly much even though it was the book which made her popular among YA lovers,the two aforementioned titles managed to impress me, enough for me to put her in my "top modern re-telling authors of all time" list.(Yes,I actually have a list like that conjured up somewhere in my mind)   

So after Bewitching, it was quite natural that I'd have high hopes for Towering right?Even though I saw a few negative feedbacks from some of my most trusted bloggers,I didn't let that waver my enthusiasm.After all,I know quite a few people who didn't like A Kiss In Time at all but that didn't stop me from loving every minute of it!But sadly,that was not the case with this one.For me,it was one of those books which I was trying too hard to like but then,after remembering the real reason why I actually read books,stopped trying and just let myself go with the flow.The idea of the story itself was great,but I just felt that it wasn't utilized enough to make the story enjoyable as a whole.

The characters,on the other hand,were a bit better portrayed in comparison to the storytelling.But again,just like I mentioned before,they were still not utilized enough.It's a bit like when you make a dish with your own recipe but forget to put in the secret key ingredient which gives the dish its spark.So it just turns out to be plain and a bit bland as well. THAT,is exactly how I felt when reading Towering,like I was biting onto a steak which had all its juice leaked out.You get what I mean right?

There isn't much more to say about Towering seeing that I didn't like the book and since I try to avoid snark in most of my reviews,I prefer to keep them short and simple when they're negative.However,if you would really like to get your hands on a good Rapunzel re-telling,I'd suggest that you try Rapunzel Untangled by Cindy C. Bennett.Even though it was a relatively shorter read and comes from a smaller publisher,it is an absolutely adorable and a wonderfully refreshing story.

However,if you're still willing to give Towering a shot,I'll be having a giveaway soon.It will probably be a giveaway with one of my upcoming reviews of another Harper title where you will have to order that title to enter as your main entry but I'm not sure yet.But check back on the blog from time to time if you're interested.

Other Reviews for this Book: 

Mel@TheDailyProphecy
Benji@TheNonReluctantReader
Kate@TheBookaholicBlurbs


                                                       

Book Review: Nantucket Blue by Leila Howland

                                                     
Nantucket Blue by Leila Howland  

My Rating:  3.5 Of 5 Stars     

Publication date: May 7th 2013 by Disney Hyperion

Blurb: For Cricket Thompson, a summer like this one will change everything. A summer spent on Nantucket with her best friend, Jules Clayton, and the indomitable Clayton family. A summer when she’ll make the almost unattainable Jay Logan hers. A summer to surpass all dreams.

Some of this turns out to be true. Some of it doesn’t.

When Jules and her family suffer a devastating tragedy that forces the girls apart, Jules becomes a stranger whom Cricket wonders whether she ever really knew. And instead of lying on the beach working on her caramel-colored tan, Cricket is making beds and cleaning bathrooms to support herself in paradise for the summer.

But it’s the things Cricket hadn’t counted on--most of all, falling hard for someone who should be completely off-limits--that turn her dreams into an exhilarating, bittersweet reality.

A beautiful future is within her grasp, and Cricket must find the grace to embrace it. If she does, her life could be the perfect shade of Nantucket blue.        

My Review:

**I received an Advanced Reading Copy of this book from Disney Hyperion in exchange for an honest review.**

A bittersweet( and maybe a bit scandalous) contemporary about a girl's summer in Nantucket which doesn't turn out exactly the way she wanted it to,Nantucket Blue might be a good read to pack with you while going on vacation.

What I liked the most about this book is that the love triangle wasn't all that deep.Deep love triangles just frustrate me a lot.Sure,this might sound like your typical boy likes girl,girl likes boy back but boy is completely off-limits sort of story,but it doesn't stop there.Nantucket Blue also shows that even when you mess up pretty badly and hope for your life to be over,you eventually  get over it and move on.

It took me a while to actually accept the story from Cricket's P.O.V,as at first she just seemed like someone who only cared about herself and her perfect summer in Nantucket.But after I read through the entire book,only then did I realise that she may have had her flaws,but at least she had the courage to admit them.In this case though,I found Zack to be a lot more admirable character than Cricket herself.Though it was a bit hard trying to ship them together at the beginning.Her best friend Jules,on the other hand,was a tough character to deal with.One of my favourite characters throughout the story was George.I feel that he played an important role in keeping Cricket's mind off things,at the same time giving her a good experience to take with her to college.

Even though the story did waver a bit in the middle,it had a promising conclusion.Fans of Meg Cabot,Judy Blume and Jenny Han would probably enjoy this debut more than others.I'm saying this by analysis since a friend of mine who is a huge contemporary fan borrowed this book from me earlier in May and seemed to like it a lot more.

Other Reviews for this Book:

Charlie @ LetterTrails
Kai@Amaterasu Reads 
Geraldine@TheSoulSisters