Review/Blog Tour: Eden by Keary Taylor

Welcome to today's stop in the Eden Blog Tour hosted by the awesome ladies over at Mundie Moms! I'm excited to share with you my review for Keary Taylor's newest release as well as host a giveaway for an e-book of Eden!

Title: Eden
Author: Keary Taylor
Ebook: 243 Pages
Release Date: June 6, 2011
Publisher: Self
Author Info: Website | Twitter
Buy the Book: Amazon

Eve knew the stories of the Fall, of a time before she wandered into the colony of Eden, unable to recall anything but her name. She's seen the aftermath of the technology that infused human DNA with cybernetic matter, able to grow new organs and limbs, how it evolved out of control. The machine took over and the soul vanished. A world quickly losing its humanity isn't just a story to her though. At eighteen, this world is Eve's reality.

In their Fallen world, love feels like a selfish luxury, but not understanding what it is makes it difficult to choose between West, who makes her feel alive but keeps too many secrets, and Avian, who has always been there for her, but is seven years her senior.

The technology wants to spread and it won't stop until there is no new flesh to assimilate. With only two percent of the human population left, mankind is on the brink of extinction. While fighting to keep Eden alive, Eve will discover that being human is about what you will do for those you love, not what your insides may be made of. And even if it gets you killed, love is always what separates them from the Fallen.

Eden is a fast-paced, non-stop action ride from start to finish. Living in a world where technology has taken over humanity and the Fallen will do anything to "infect" the last survivors of the human race, Eve is not in the safest of situations. She has no memory of her life before coming to Eden so the only life and family she knows is in Eden. And she will do anything, even risk her own life, to protect her home. She is a very strong and capable lead character that really drives the story. Even if she does get a bit reckless on occasion.

Keary Taylor really brings this world to life with detailed descriptions and flashbacks of what the world used to be like that juxtapose the stark reality of their current situation and life. It's pretty bleak. Though there is a light through it all. Friends, family, and boys. Yes, boys. Now I'm not usually a fan of love triangles because they're usually all the same. And the triangle between West, Avian, and Eve was a little too familiar for my liking. Though it was well-written and both guys had something to offer, I felt it was a bit drawn out. Maybe that's just because from the omniscient reader's perspective we make our decisions on who should be with the main character in the end faster.

Reading Eden, I kept thinking of how similar the post-apocalyptic story was to a zombie apocalypse. It speaks of the Fallen attempting to infect humans with just a touch. So obviously my mind kept bringing up zombie scenarios. The thing that separates these genres though is the cybernetics. I loved that these were robots and that the "infection" that was being spread was "nanites" that would assimilate the human organic materials in your body into robotic parts. You would essentially be a cyborg. Though like zombies, they were all basically mindless predators hell bent on assimilating all flesh. I still liked the twist on the genre. It felt a lot like Walking Dead meets Terminator.

The level of detail that was put into the characters and world made it feel real and tangible. It was so simple to visualize this world after the Fall and the plot twists really left me on the edge of my seat. I was reading for hours non-stop. Like I said in the first paragraph, it's fast-paced, non-stop action. I highly recommend this to anyone who is a fan of post-apocalyptic or dystopian novels. I suggest you add this one to your "Must Read" list now!

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To be entered to win the ebook copy of Eden, all you have to do is follow the instructions below. Use your facebook or email that way I can contact you if you win. This giveaway IS international. Good luck!

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Review: You Are Here by Jennifer E. Smith

Hardcover: 256 Pages
Release Date: May 19th, 2009
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Author Info: Website | Twitter
Buy the Book: Amazon | IndieBound
Add It: Goodreads

Emma and her neighbor Peter are both lonely in a way that only bothers them on occasion. They both come from families they don’t quite understand. They both feel like something big is missing from their lives—and they’re both about to search for answers. When Emma makes a discovery that shakes the foundations of her identity, she convinces Peter to join her for a road trip.

Each of them has something to find: For Emma, it is a grave—a grave that may be her only connection to her family. Peter is seeking something harder to define, but perhaps easier to navigate—a freedom, a sense of something more than what he has. Together, they take to the open road, engaging in a universal quest to make sense of who they are and where they come from…and learning a thing or two about love along the way.

I don't know why I love reading travel books so much. They only make me long to travel more. Wanderlust unsuppressed. Visiting new places and seeing things I can't quite experience behind a computer screen on Google Earth. Though that is a cheap way to "travel".

Jennifer Smith has written a road trip book unlike any other I've read. The depth and thoughtfulness put into the story is pure. There's a lot of emotion in this book whether it be sad or happy, angry or comical. Every situation playing off each other to create a flow of events and a truly unique coming of age story.

I can relate to any story involving twins. It's a twin thing, sure, but anyone can relate to this story. It's one of self-discovery. Feeling out of place in the life you live at home. Wanting there to be something out there better than your current life. Needing there to be. I can understand this. We all can. Loneliness and feeling like you don't really fit in is universal. You Are Here takes those universal doubts and questions and does it's best to answer them in a thought-provoking way. Successfully I might add.

Emma and Peter set out on a road trip together for two different reasons. Emma wants to find out about the twin brother she once had, but died shortly after their birth. Peter wants to visit Gettysburg (He's crazy about the Civil War.). On the way they discover things about each other that they hadn't planned. Mundane things like their favorite things, but also deeper things like love, loss and taking what they have for granted.

Emma feels out of place in her house full of scholars and professors, unconnected. Like a puzzle piece from a different puzzle that just doesn't seem to fit in. Peter, with his Civil War obsession and out-of-touch dad, the town sheriff, and his mother who died years before, always felt more at home with Emma's parents.

The idea for a road trip book is a simple one. One that's been done before and will be done again, but it's what happens on the road that determines the quality of the story. The character interaction, the emotional tension, the progressive dialogue --it all has to work seemlessly. I can't imagine having to come up with enough things to say during a multiple hour car ride much less write a book about it with such emotional drive.

After reading The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight, Jennifer Smith quickly jumped up to be one of my favorite contemporary authors. After reading this, she has secured her place once more. You Are Here is now my favorite "road trip" book. You should all read it.

Disclaimer: It WILL make you want to go on an impromptu road trip. I'm ready to go on one now.

Review: Delirium by Lauren Oliver

Hardcover: 441
Release Date: February 1, 2011
Publisher: Harper Teen
Author Info: Website | Twitter
Buy the Book: Amazon
Add It: Goodreads | Shelfari
Before scientists found the cure, people thought love was a good thing. They didn’t understand that once love -- the deliria -- blooms in your blood, there is no escaping its hold. Things are different now. Scientists are able to eradicate love, and the government demands that all citizens receive the cure upon turning eighteen. Lena Holoway has always looked forward to the day when she’ll be cured. A life without love is a life without pain: safe, measured, predictable, and happy.

But with ninety-five days left until her treatment, Lena does the unthinkable: She falls in love.

Delirium was fast paced, action packed, and made you question love itself. Lena has grown up knowing the deliria nervosa made her mother jump off that cliff. It changed her. She grew up knowing that her day of treatment would be coming up and she would no longer have to worry about contracting the deliria. She knew the symptoms, the laws, and everything to do with it so she was ready to be cured. That was until she met Adam and makes her question everything.

This book was beautifully written and had a well driven plot. I had been meaning to get around to reading it for almost a year since it came out, then my girlfriend basically told me I had to read it soon because it was one of her all-time favorite YA books. So I did. At first, I was reading it and it was just taking me a while to get in to, then I got the audiobook instead and tore through it!

The story really picked up for me after the first 200 pages, which may seem like a lot but it's worth it, and carried the rest of the story through with action on every page. And the ending, oh how I didn't expect the ending AT ALL. It leads well into Pandemonium and I can't wait to start that soon!

About the Audiobook:

Sarah Drew, who read, did an awesome job. She also read the audio for Before I Fall, Oliver's debut novel, which I now really want to listen to instead of reading just for her reading. She really brought the characters to life and added her own inflections for each one so they sounded different. I could feel the action scenes through her voice and the same for the calm and loving scenes. Overall, the audiobook was definitely worth the listen!

BEA: A Survival Guide

With Book Expo of America looming closer and closer (FOUR WEEKS, GUYS!), I have been thinking of what I could do to help out anyone in need of assistance where BEA things are concerned. I asked Twitter and received quite a few questions that I'll answer in my next post. We can call this a "Fireside Chat with Jeremy about BEA."

BEA. A convention for the strong-willed and daring type. Not for the faint of heart. There's a reason for the title of this post and if you've been to BEA in the past, you'll know exactly what I'm referring too.

Imagine going to a zoo and seeing a bunch of lions grazing through the exhibit looking a tad bit hungry. Now enters a single zookeeper with one steak in his hands. He gingerly sets it down then runs for dear life as the lions begin to run and pounce all over each other just to get to that steak and ease their overwhelming hunger. Not every lion will get a piece of the steak, some will continue to not eat. But in reality, a few of the lions were hurt in the chance to get some of it. But it probably wasn't worth it because now they are bleeding and still hungry.

Horribly long and terrible analogy, I know. But seriously. Tell a bunch of people "FREE BOOKS!!" and they come in hoards to pounce, jab, and dive for a book they have been dying for or even just to fill up their tote bag. It's a sad reality, but it happens every year. People are bitten, bruised, and stepped on all because of some book.

I ask of you, please don't be that person. I respect other bloggers and feel like I should do my best to keep in mind that I am representing my own blog as well as the YA community while at BEA and if I'm fighting with someone or diving into Scholastic's booth, I am a terrible representation. You may be thinking, what's the big deal with wanting a book? That's what it's there for. But you have to also know that other people (editors, authors, agents, publishers, etc.) see your actions even if you don't think they do and they will be quick to judge the blogging community as a bunch of kids doing whatever to get free books. This was the sad reality of last year's convention.

We must do better this year. Yeah, some people won't listen and will still do whatever they can to get a book, even if they won't even read it. (Hint: you have to pay to ship this stuff home. Think about that when you just grab stuff.) But in all honesty, you represent yourself, your blog, and your community when at an event like this so please be mindful of that. Talk to booth workers, befriend other bloggers, etc. This is a time to meet new people and make connections too, it's not just about getting books (which most people think it is).

Feel free to leave any questions you may have about it in the comments below and I'll make more posts up until BEA as long as there are questions to be answered.