Tour Post: Branded

Hello you lovely lot! It's the start of a new month and today we have something I'm really excited about! BRANDED by Abi Ketner & Missy Kalicicki has had a face lift and it back on the market with new pages and a new look. It's it pretty?

So here's my review and a little PolyvoreSTYLE to start of June. Enjoy and as always leave a comment and tell me if this is being added to your TBR list! 

Branded 
by Abi Ketner & Missy Kalicicki

Publishing Date: February 18th 2014  (First published back in June 2013)

Publisher: Abi and Missy Books

Summary

Fifty years ago the Commander came into power and murdered all who opposed him. In his warped mind, the seven deadly sins were the downfall of society. He created the Hole where sinners are branded according to their sins and might survive a few years. At best. Now LUST wraps around my neck like blue fingers strangling me. I’ve been accused of a crime I didn’t commit and now the Hole is my new home. Darkness. Death. Violence. Pain. Now every day is a fight for survival. But I won’t die. I won’t let them win.The Hole can’t keep me. The Hole can’t break me. I am more than my brand. I’m a fighter. My name is Lexi Hamilton, and this is my story.

Review

"At what point do they believe what's been branded on their skin instead of just knowing who they are inside?"

For  lovers of Divergent who are suffering from Dystopian withdrawals this is the book you need to be reading. It's funny and action packed, it's compelling and unafraid to break your heart, but most importantly it's full of rich exciting character's that will have you captivated from the very first sentence. Oh, and it has a swoon worthy book boyfriend that will give Four a run for his money! 

Taking a break from all the dual narratives that seem to be swarming the market at the moment Branded is told from the point of view of Lexi. Lexi has been accused and in a world where there are no court rooms or appeals that means Lexi is sentenced to spend the rest of her life in The Hole. The Branded are people who have committed one of the seven deadly sins, and once they're captured and marked they are made to live out the rest of they're lives in poverty. But Lexi has something most other Branded people don't. Lexi has Cole.

Sorry... just give me one moment to pull myself together! 

SWOON ALERT! Cole is, and I'm not exaggerating here, one of the hottest book boyfriends you are ever likely to have in a Dystopian. He's a little rough around the edges but I find that adds to his charm. Cole is Lexi's guard, he has to make sure she abides by the rules and doesn't cause any trouble. Admittedly, he doesn't do the best job of either of those things but he does try bless him. He's fiercely protective and with the help of his trusty sidekick Zeus - a horse sized dog that attacks bed sheets and is afraid of his own farts - he's always got her back. The problem is Cole isn't allowed to like Lexi. He's her capture not her friend and when feeling begin to surface things become more dangerous than ever. 

"You're like my magnet. You pull me in. No matter how hard I pull away... your force is stronger."

One of the many things I loved about this book was that it wasn't afraid to tackle the grittier aspects. Life is never going to be all sunshine and rainbows in a Dystopian world but there is a distinct emphases on the fact that life in The Hole is dangerous and one wrong step can be fatal. Which made the whole world seem more real, honest and raw. 

"But you know what? I think dying is easier compared to living here."

Although saying that, there may have been one too many scenes with guns going off and people being chased down the street for my liking. But that is just personal preference.

Overall though this book WILL break your heart and I'm not even talking about the ending. It was around 30% when I had to reach for the tissues! There are several different events that occur throughout this book making it face paced and really exciting to read.

There were one or two moments like this
and no it wasn't fair and I'm not going to lie, I had a bit of a sulk.

This is YA Dystopian at its best and it demands your attention from the very first page. It will put you through the emotional ringer and have you questioning what went wrong with humanity. By the time you reach that - rather damn perfect - last line this book will have consumed you completely and have you begging Abi and Missy for book two. Highly recommended, you won't regret it!

"So we'll take one day at a time, because each day is one day we didn't have before."

And the Hobbits liked it too :)

**I received this book as an ARC from the authors through NetGalley to read & review. This is a 100% honest review.**

Here's a little Polyvore to brighten up your day. Look inspired but the cover of Branded!

Branded by emily-bradley-dorman featuring Beckley by Melissa

**EXCERPT**

I turn on the faucet for a long while only to discover ice-cold water rushing out. The water never warms and I begin to understand. The Commander thinks he can wash away my soul by freezing me to death. He thinks he can destroy me by stripping away my possessions. But he can’t and I won’t let him take my memories, my ambition, and my pride.He thinks I’m so easily broken.The Commander doesn’t know anything about me, what I grew up with, what I endured—the father I lost, the mother I hate, the brother who walked out of my life, and the stepfather I was forced to accept. He thinks since I was rich, making me poor will cause me to give up. What he doesn’t understand is that, after my father passed away, I grew up behind walls of hatred. I had nothing, but had everything at the same time. I owned expensive clothes, enjoyed good schooling, and lived in a nice home. But my body was just a shell protecting an empty, desperate heart. My life was a colorful façade.I had so much time to sit and think. I spent the majority of my life between four walls. I was abandoned, neglected, starved, betrayed, and abused. I’ve already been treated like the scum of the earth, so the Hole is nothing new. He wants to erase every sign of my existence on this earth, but I won’t let that happen. He can strip me naked, but he’ll never reach my soul.It’s personal, completely personal.

About Abi and Missy 

Abi and Missy met in the summer of 1999 at college orientation and have been best friends ever since. After college, they added jobs, husbands and kids to their lives, but they still found time for their friendship. Instead of hanging out on weekends, they went to dinner once a month and reviewed books. What started out as an enjoyable hobby has now become an incredible adventure.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Abi's Goodreads | Missy's Goodreads

Allegiant

Allegiant by Veronica Roth

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Summary (From Back Cover)
What if your whole world was a lie?
The faction-based society that Tris Prior once believed in is shattered - fractured by violence and power struggles and scarred by loss and betrayal. So when offered a chance to explore the world past the limits she's known, Tris is read. Perhaps beyond the fence she and Tobias will find a simple new life together, free from complicated lies, tangled loyalties and painful memories.
But Tris's new reality is even more alarming than the one she left behind. Old discoveries are quickly rendered meaningless. Explosive new truths change the hearts of those she loves. And once again Tris must battle to comprehend the complexities of human nature - and of herself - while facing impossible choices about courage, allegiance, sacrifice and love.

Review
I don't know about you but I have a habit of reading ahead. Specifically, I almost always read the last page first. Now sometimes it makes me want to read more and most the time I want to slap myself for being an idiot, for example books not to do this include: Noughts and Crosses, The Madness Underneath, Gone Girl and most importantly Allegiant! DON'T shoot yourself in the foot, this is an epic book and reading ahead will just spoil Roth's dramatic, and quite frankly, heart breaking conclusion to - in my humble opinion - one of the best YA series around right now.

Okay now for the story, we left Tris in Insurgent after she managed to betray Four (again) and reveal the secrets that have kept her society together. Now the Factionless are in charge, but instead of giving the people of the city a choice in who they want to be they've ended up taking away the only choice they had. In this instalment we see Tris, along with Four, Caleb, Christina, Cara, Uriah, Peter and Tori all leave the city in hopes of finding what's beyond they're crumbling society. However, not everyone makes it. Outside the city they discover more than they ever thought they would, more than they wanted to, and have to come to turns with what life within the city walls actually mean. They have to decide what's worth fighting for and who's worth saving.

Unlike the past two books, this is told not just for Tris' perspective but also Four's. Personally I think I would have preferred it to have just been Tris (that's why it got marked down slightly), although I can see why the second point of view was important. It gives you a greater understanding of all the events unfolding within the book.

Being the last book in a series it's almost mandatory that the author kills off a couple of our favourites. Roth has had no problem with killing characters in the past. Divergent saw us loose both of Tris' parents and Will (some others too, but they're the important ones). Then in Insurgent we lost quite a few of our love-to-hate baddies like Eric and Jeanine, but it's the people we loose in Allegiant that are the most devastating. But unlike with *Spoiler Alert for Mockingjay THG* when Finnick dies, you're not left wandering why did that HAVE to happen? Every death fits within the story and makes it stronger, even if it does have you blubbering like a baby.

I feel like I've said it 100 times but I really do love these books and I'm sorry these reviews have turned into a bit of a gush-fest but once you read them I'm sure you'll understand. Allegiant in the perfect ending to a series I'll probably be re-reading for a long time. There are no unanswered questions by the time you've read the final page.

Enjoy the last Divergent book my lovelies and try not to cry too much.





Official Book Trailer for Divergent series, if you want to watch the movie trailer check out my Divergent review.

Wither

Wither by Lauren DeStefano

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Summary (From Back Cover)
What if you knew exactly when you would die?
In our brave new future, DNA engineering had resulted in a terrible genetic flaw. Women die at the age of 20, men at 25. Young girls are being abducted and forced to breed in a desperate attempt to keep humanity ahead of the disease that threaten to eradicate it.
16-year-old Rhine Ellery is kidnapped and sold as a bride to Linden, a rich young man with a dying wife. Even though he is kind to her, Rhine is desperate to escape her gilded cage - and Linden's cruel father. With the help of Gabriel, a servant she is growing dangerously attracted to, Rhine attempts to break free, in what little time she has left.

Review
I'm currently re-reading this book as I wanted to refresh my memory before I started on the third and final instalment of The Chemical Gardens trilogy. I started last night and I've almost finished. You're thrown straight into the harsh world, that is future America with no apologies or a chance to hide it's forth comings. A dangerous world for women and a concept that feels all to real. The science behind the book makes it feel like this could be a possibility, which in a way makes it all the more heartbreaking.

DeStefano wastes no time getting started, throwing you straight into the story. There's no setting the scene, instead it integrates the back story into the first couple of chapters, dropping little snippets of Rhine's past here and there. Which, makes it a very easy book to get into. When I started reading Wither it had a kind of Beauty and the Beast feel to it, in the sense that there's a young girl locked in a mansion with an a monster of a capture and a handful of warm, loving servants. But as the book goes on and the story begins to unravel you start to connect with the House Governor, Linden, and come to realise the threat is coming from a different source entirely.

Stolen away from her life in New York,  Rhine is sold to a rich man named Linden. Along with two other girls, she is forced to marry the rich House Governor. Locked in the Florida mansion, half a world away from her home Rhine becomes close to Lindens first wife, Rose. Rose is at that fatal age of 20.

After Rose passes Linden starts to focus on his new wives. The only relief she has in this world is Gabriel one of the house attendants. The book follows Rhine as she tries to escape from her luxury prison, and Housemaster Vaughn's wicked clutches. But in doing so she discovers things within the mansion she was never meant to see. Will she be able to find away out of this new hell? Or is Linden a kinder man that she thought? Is there a chance she could be happy here? And if so, will she stay long enough to find out?

I'll admit I have a soft spot for Linden. I mean, I don't support buying wives off men in grey coats but at the same time I can think of worse people to be married to. He has a kind heart, and I feel reading this that the real monster in this story is his father, Vaughn. But at the same time I can't blame Rhine for wanting to leave, she has a family that she has to get back to. After all she didn't choose this life.

It's a story full of danger and surprises. A vivid world and written in such a way that you will find it easy to get lost within it's pages. A must read for any lover of dystopian fiction, and even if you're not, it's a great story that will make you wander...



Official book trailer:

Insurgent

Insurgent by Veronica Roth

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Summary (From Back Cover) 
I have done bad things. I can't take them back, and they are part of who I am.
Tris has survived a brutal attack on her former home and family. But she has paid a terrible price. Wracked by grief and guilt, she becomes ever more reckless as she struggles to accept her new future.
Yet if Tris wants to uncover the truth about her world, she much be stronger than ever... because more shocking choices and sacrifices lie ahead.

Review
Okay first things first, if you've not read Divergent then stop reading this and go read that instead! This is one of my favourite series so I'm not going to hold back, so there may be quite a few spoilers. Okay, formalities out of the way, lets begin...

Insurgent starts where Divergent finished, there's no two week gap like a lot of sequels, throwing us straight into the chaos left behind from the attack on the Abnegation. The Dauntless are having to decide whether or not they accept their factions new affinity with Erudite, while Tris, Four, Caleb and Marcus are forced to flee the bodies they left behind in the Dauntless headquarters. But with both her parents being killed in the attacks Tris' world seems to be falling apart.

After a short and eventful stay at the Amity compound our rag-tag group of heroes make there way to Candor where the Dauntless that haven't sided with Erudite have set up camp. There, with a little help from some truth serum they are made to divulge everything they know about the Divergent and Tris is confronted with what she did to Will. Lets just say Christina and Will's sister Cara aren't best pleased to see her. Although no one can make Tris feel worse that she already does, after all, why didn't she shoot him in the leg?

The only reason I haven't given this book 5 out of 5 is because I thought the first instalment was better, even if ever so slightly! However, saying that the plot flows without not so much as a hick up and whole new levels of our favourite character's are revealed. For instance you'd think after the first book Eric couldn't get much worse, well you would be very wrong indeed! That's not even mentioning Caleb, dear lord that boy needs a good smack!

It's one thing after another with this instalment of the divergent series and will put you through your emotional paces. I will say though if you're planning on reading this make sure you have the third and final book, Allegiant, on hand because it ends one hell of a cliffhanger.

There really is no one left to trust.


Watch the book trailer bellow, for the movie trailer check out my Divergent Review.