Glitch by Brenda Pandos (Indie)

Glitch (Lost in Time #1)
Brenda Pandos
Pub.: January 31, 2014

Perfect world. Lies. Blue eyes.

When a mysterious guy from the forbidden zone sneaks an illegal slip of paper to a beautiful young girl from Brighton, she must decide if she should turn him in or follow what the note says.

Eighteen-year-old Abigail has no trouble following Brighton’s rules. For one, she’s OCD about checking her Date of Death clock latched to her wrist, making sure her decisions never shorten her timeline, and two, she enjoys the peace Brighton has to offer. In no way would she bring on another attack that destroyed earth’s inhabitants. But when her best friend returns from her Advice Meeting--a glimpse into the future--shocked and won’t tell Abby what’s happened, Abby is worried what awaits her glimpse. The stranger with blue eyes knows something, but does Abby dare enter the forbidden zone to get answers? Or is she doomed to live the life set in her glimpse? 

On her eighteenth birthday, Abby decides to meet her future self in a once in a lifetime meeting despite the warning from a curious rebel who snuck inside city walls to warn her against it. Guess she should've listened. Before now, her leap year birthday kept her off their radar, which was advantageous since she was destined to be someone the government would love to sink their claws into. Turns out Abby is an oracle just like her future self, but they gain their prophetic sights by literally jumping through time. Her future self did a good job hiding her younger self, but now that Abby's on the radar again, that mysterious guy has to step in and sneak her out of the city before it's too late.

 

Glitch actually surprised me. It seemed a mix of Delirium and the movie In Time with a splash of zombies for good effect. A fish out of water story, a good chunk of this novel dealt with Abby learning how to deal with rebel life without the luxuries she was used to and trying to figure out what was truth and what was fiction, because at times, even the rebels seemed a little dishonest. I enjoyed watching her fall for a pair of brothers but I have to admit I was rooting for a particular one to win her heart! This novel had a little bit of everything - romance, danger, corrupt government, even time travel and a zombie infection fighting to spread and take over again. Enjoyable read, and I'm looking forward to the follow-up Switch.

Novel provided by author for honest review.

The Dark World by Cara Lynn Shultz (ARC)

The Dark World
Cara Lynn Shultz
Exp. Pub.: May 27, 2013 TOMORROW!!!

Paige Kelly is used to weird - in fact, she probably corners the market on weird, considering that her best friend, Dottie, has been dead since the 1950s. But when a fire demon attacks Paige in detention, she has to admit that things have gotten out of her league. Luckily, the cute new boy in school, Logan Bradley, is a practiced demon slayer - and he isn't fazed by Paige's propensity to chat with the dead. Suddenly, Paige is smack in the middle of a centuries-old battle between warlocks and demons, learning to fight with a magic sword so that she can defend herself. And if she makes one wrong move, she'll be pulled into the Dark World, an alternate version of our world that's overrun by demons - and she might never make it home.

Ever since Paige Kelly rescued a little boy and ended up dead herself before being brought back to life, she's been able to see things beyond her realm. Unfortunately, she can't always tell when the person in front of her is living or dead, so everywhere she goes, she's labeled as the weird girl and forced to shove endless pills down her throat to soothe the minds of her ever-worried parents. Now at a new school, she's slipped up a few times talking to the one person who doesn't see her as a freak - her ghostly best bud Dottie, who keeps her company through the long, lonely school days. Unfortunately, interacting with a ghost from the Dark World has lit a beacon for all things demonic, and it doesn't take long for a group to track her down and try to take her back to their world. Turns out Paige is now a desirable Traveler - one whose energy can open portals freely into the opposite world. And now, everybody seems to want a piece - except Logan, who can't help but try to keep safe the one girl who's ever caught his eye.

 

The Dark World surprised me. Shultz's Spellbound novels were just okay for me, but I see a world of difference between these series and finally I've been captivated - and I need the next book like now! You can't help but feel for Paige as she merely tries to survive her teenage years under the constant scrutiny of her extraordinary-phobic parents and the endless belittling by her classmates. Once a fiery demon attacks her on school grounds and Logan finally reveals his demon-slaying abilities, you can't help but root for the girl to finally have a living, breathing someone accept her for all she truly is. And Logan might be a sword-wielding hottie that's placed on protection detail and training her to defend herself, but this protector is totally swoon-worthy too. Unfortunately for Paige, she knows he'll be gone again as soon as the demons are dead, so what's a Traveler to do when she falls in love with a demon-slayer?

ARC provided by Harlequin Teen for honest review.

Divided by Elsie Chapman (ARC)

Divided (Dualed #2)
Elsie Chapman
Exp. Pub.: May 27, 2014

The hunter becomes the hunted. . . .

West Grayer is done killing. She defeated her Alternate, a twin raised by another family, and proved she’s worthy of a future. She’s ready to move on with her life.

The Board has other plans. They want her to kill one last time, and offer her a deal worth killing for. But when West recognizes her target as a ghost from her past, she realizes she’s in over her head. The Board is lying, and West will have to uncover the truth of the past to secure her future.

How far will the Board go to keep their secrets safe? And how far will West go to save those she loves? With nonstop action and surprising twists, Elsie Chapman’s intoxicating sequel to Dualed reveals everything.

Several months after West killed her Alt and earned the right to continue living, she's trying to gather some semblance of a normal life. No longer a Striker - a person who is paid to assassin an active Alt so their twin won't have to - it freaks her out when the Board demands her to come to Headquarters. Her worst fears are confirmed, and not only are they aware she's been a Striker and could be put to death for her crimes, but the Board themselves are requesting her services. It's obvious she has no choice but to do what they ask, but what they ask of her isn't something she thinks she can truly do.

 

Whereas West herself seemed to make Dualed drag out because she just refused to deal with her Alt assignment until the very last days of her month, Divided kept a much faster pace. We get more in the way of world-building in this one, so it's nice to finally understand how her society works. But West's relationship with Chord was a little dull for me. I'd like to think that they would've worked through some of their relationship issues during the six months that passed between novels. It seems they lived side by side without any steps forward or backwards, which doesn't seem very realistic to me. Other than that, it was pretty solid novel, and if you liked the first, odds are you'll like the second.

 

ARC provided by Random House for honest review.

The Rules for Breaking by Ashley Elston (ARC)

The Rules for Breaking (The Rules for Disappearing #2)
Ashley Elston
Exp. Pub.: May 20, 2014 TODAY!!!

Anna Boyd almost lost her life to get what she wanted most in the world: freedom.

But just when it seems that her family has finally escaped Witness Protection, the illusion that Anna could resume a normal life comes crashing down.

The deadly man Anna knows as Thomas is still on the loose, and now he's using her as a pawn in a dangerous game with the drug cartel determined to silence her forever. When Thomas and a mysterious masked man capture not only Anna but also her fragile younger sister and her boyfriend, Anna decides it's time to break all the rules-even if it means teaming up with the lesser of two evils.

Anna will do whatever it takes to protect the people she loves and win her life back once and for all. But her true enemies are hidden in plain sight. Before long, Anna will learn that putting her trust in anyone may be the last mistake she ever makes.

Anna is finally getting her life back together. Problem is, she hasn't been that honest. The journal that was stolen from her made its way back with a note and flowers. Thomas, the assassin who pretended to be one of her witness protection handlers, is still out there. When her journal is discovered by others, its back to semi-witness protection until they can figure out what Thomas' interest in Anna is. But its not long before their new location is jeopardized and both Anna and Ethan are kidnapped, along with Teeny as she happens by at the worst possible moment. Why the abduction? Thomas allowed Anna to live the first time, so there's a price on his and Ethan's heads now too. Being his bait in a deadly game between assassins is bad enough, but when Anna discovers who the guy is who's helping Thomas keep them prisoner, it's absolutely devastating.

I actually felt this was better than the first novel. In The Rules for Disappearing, I felt it was a little unbelievable that a teenage girl would throw herself into the thick of assassins and cartels and come out the victor, but in The Rules for Breaking, the action seems to find Anna and her goal switches to survival, so the story comes off way more believable. Lots of action, chills and perilous thrills keep you glued to your seat and the pages flipping as they desperately try to escape their captors. So if you liked the first, you'll probably the love this follow-up. Pick it up!

ARC provided by Disney Hyperion for honest review.

Renegade by Debra Driza (ARC)

Renegade (MILA 2.0, #2)
Debra Driza
Exp. Pub.: May 13, 2014 TODAY!!!

There is no one left for Mila to trust. Except for a boy she barely knows.

But Hunter has no idea who—and what—Mila really is. She can’t bear to reveal her secret, even though he’s unwittingly joined her search for Richard Grady, a man who may know more details of Mila’s complicated past.

Yet the road to the truth is more dangerous than ever. With General Holland and the Vita Obscura scouring the earth for her whereabouts, Mila must rely on her newfound android abilities to protect herself and Hunter from imminent harm. Still, embracing her identity as a machine leads her to question the state of her humanity—as well as Hunter’s real motives.

Perfect for fans of I Am Number Four and Divergent, this action-packed and heart-wrenching second installment of MILA 2.0 will leave readers breathlessly awaiting the series conclusion.

Less than a month ago, Mila was just an ordinary teenager trying to survive high school like everyone else. Until an accident left her with an exposed interior arm showing nothing but circuitry. Telling Hunter she had an experimental prosthetic arm was quick thinking, but it was only the beginning of a nightmare that just wouldn't end. Now she's being hunted by two organizations that just want her for her advanced technology, her mom's been killed by her former boss, her father never really existed (or did he?). And Hunter? Oddly enough, he's the only one Mila can think to call to help her find the person her mom told her about with her dying breath.

 

But having Hunter along for the ride is as painful as it is soothing, because Mila just can't seem to find the right way to tell the guy she's fallen for that she's an android. Not to mention all the guilt she feels constantly lying about who the people are they're tracking down, and the way his life is constantly at risk as she's being hunted by Holland, the V.O. and MILA 3.0. It's a bit selfish in fact, but Mila's having a hard time adapting to this freakish new life of computers and circuitry. But suspicions arise when Mila realizes all signs point to Hunter having his own lies and secrets.

I read MILA 2.0 just two months ago, so I still had the story fresh in my mind. I really enjoyed the first, so when I saw this was up for review, I snatched for it quicker than a fat kid on a cupcake. The pace and suspense kept me reading, not to mention watching Mila and Hunter's relationship jump all over the place, but I wasn't a huge fan of the ending. I'm fine with authors throwing in a cliffy, but the ending seemed rather abrupt. I couldn't believe it when I turned that page and WHAM! Book over. I was like - huh? I guess I prefer to have a little more resolution for the current novel than what was given here. Ending aside, I was incredibly happy with Renegade, and if you were a fan of the first, you'll love this one just as much.

ARC provided by Katherine Tegan Books.