E-ARC Review: Pawn by Aimee Carter

E-ARC Review: Pawn by Aimee Carter

Posted by Nina L. on 12:00 PM in 4-star, Aimei Carter, Dystopian, E-ARC, review,

Author: Aimee Carter

Release date: November 26th 2013

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

Series: The Blackcoat Rebellion # 1

Age Group: Young Adult

Genre: Sci-fi/Dystopia

Purchase: Amazon | Barnes and Noble | The Book Depository 

Add to your library: Goodreads

YOU CAN BE A VII. IF YOU GIVE UP EVERYTHING. 

For Kitty Doe, it seems like an easy choice. She can either spend her life as a III in misery, looked down upon by the higher ranks and forced to leave the people she loves, or she can become a VII and join the most powerful family in the country. 

If she says yes, Kitty will be Masked—surgically transformed into Lila Hart, the Prime Minister's niece, who died under mysterious circumstances. As a member of the Hart family, she will be famous. She will be adored. And for the first time, she will matter. 

There's only one catch. She must also stop the rebellion that Lila secretly fostered, the same one that got her killed …and one Kitty believes in. Faced with threats, conspiracies and a life that's not her own, she must decide which path to choose—and learn how to become more than a pawn in a twisted game she's only beginning to understand. (via Goodreads)

I received an e-copy of this from Harlequin TEEN through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Have you ever read a book wherein you felt like you were watching some thriller series? Well, this one's for me. I've read a lot of books but none ever made me feel like that. Pawn, however, totally made me feel as if it was one. I don't really know why. Maybe it was because of the characters, their choices and the way things turned out in Pawn. Somehow, it really is like a series. That's why I wasn't that much surprised with the twists and turns.

Pawn's premise was scary, stressful and exciting. Is it even right to bring those words together? Whether it is or it isn't, that's how Pawn is for me. It was scary because seriously? You live in a world wherein your future depends on your luck. Your lucky if you're the child of some hot shot public figure. You have bad luck otherwise. But that doesn't mean you don't get a chance. You're going to undergo a test at the age of 17 and your score will determine your future already. No do-overs. Just once. What are you gonna do if you scored the lowest? And you're just 17! Tell me if that isn't scary. It was stressful since the leaders of your country are so greedy. Especially when you're at the bottom of the social ladder, you can feel how much the officials are power-tripping. You can totally feel how much they practically own you. The worst thing is, you can't do a single damn thing about it. Despite the fact that it's both scary and stressful, Pawn was exciting when the MC, Kitty, was taken by the Harts to take over the role of Lila, the granddaugther who died. Honestly, if I were Kitty, I'd be excited that I'm an instant Hart. The Harts own the country. They control the people, their food, their jobs and just everything about it. But of course, power comes with a great responsibility. And Kitty was not only to take over Lila's role. She literally had to be her. Considering how she hate the Harts, she can't do anything about it since she's going to die and the people she loves. She really had no choice about it. The exciting part is that Kitty was actually doing other things than just the ones given to her by the family's head. She was supposed to stop the rebellion that Lila started but the hard thing for her was, it was also the things she believed in.

Kitty was a fun heroine to read about. She was assertive about a lot of things. I did feel how she was that determined to change the system. Even if there were hard choices to choose about, she chose the ones she  thought were the best. I actually agreed with her choices even if some were actually stupid. Still, no matter how much she hated the system and the people behind it, she was no killer. I admire that about her because she didn't let her hatred blind her judgment.

The thing I loved about Pawn is the way the characters practically turned into each other. One minute, they were allies, the next minute, they're enemies. They were enemies about one thing but they still have a common ground to be together. It was like watching a series really wherein the characters were so flexible. And I loved how I saw the good even in the evil characters and vice versa. It was nice to see their characters in such a way. I got to understand why they're doing this and that.

As I have said earlier, I wasn't surprised with the twists and turns. It wasn't the jaw-dropping kind anyway. It was pretty obvious and somehow expected but that doesn't mean it made my reading experience any less better. I really enjoyed it still.

Pawn is a great dystopia novel wherein one have to fight for his/her future. It's about standing up for your own life and what you believe is right. You'll actually be amazed as to how Kitty literaly took over Lila's role. Pretty much unique.

About the Author

I attended the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor and received a degree in Screen Arts and Cultures (a fancy way of saying I was forced to watch a lot of old movies) with a subconcentration in Screenwriting. I write. I watch a lot of new movies. Read a lot of books. Tweet too much. Love dogs and have two spoiled Papillons.

I'm represented by the magical Rosemary Stimola of Stimola Literary Studio, and on very rare occasions I blog over at WordPress. If you have any questions, feel free to ask!

 Website | Facebook | Goodreads | Twitter

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Stripped Without You Blog Tour: Review, Excerpt & Giveaway

Stripped Without You Blog Tour: Review, Excerpt & Giveaway

Posted by Nina L. on 11:00 PM in blog tour, Brooklyn Skye, review,

Welcome to my stop for Stripped Without You Blog Tour!

Tour Schedule!

Author: Brooklyn Skye

Release date: November 30th 2013

Publisher: Self-Published

Series: Stripped 1-1.5

Age Group: New Adult

Genre: Contemporary Romance
Tour organized by: Itching For Books

Purchase: Amazon 

Add to your library: Goodreads

STRIPPED (a novel) 

College freshman Quinn Montgomery will do anything to avoid the mistake her sister made—killing herself over a boy. But when she is forced into nude modeling at a local college to support her family after a bankruptcy, she begins to crack, just enough to let Torrin, the university’s top varsity oarsman, see that the real Quinn is not as feisty and unapproachable as she wants everyone to think. But letting someone in comes at a steep cost and, it turns out, Torrin is connected to Quinn’s family in more ways than she could ever imagine.

WITHOUT YOU (a novella)

She was broken when I met her, shattered from the death of her sister and running from love. Not to sound like an egotistical douche or anything, but I fixed her. Put her back together, filled in the cracks, and made her whole. A true fairytale in her eyes. 

But now real life is getting in the way: school, jobs, and the unexpected opportunity to travel the world under a legendary photographer. This internship will open doors not even my father’s influence could. It’s something I’ve been waiting all my life for. But so is Quinn, and accepting this internship will mean leaving her. 

And breaking her all over again. (via Goodreads)

I was wondering why my copy started with Stripped. I only realized now that Stripped Without You is Stripped plus Without You. I know, stupid. So I'm only writing my review here for Without You then I'm posting a link to my Stripped review down below.

I wished Without You was longer. I know it is just a novella but it really is too short for me. Or am I just really craving for more? Still, I enjoyed and liked it.

The story started out a few months after Quinn and Torrin started going out as a couple. It was so nice reading about them again. We all know that Torrin is a photography enthusiast so it's no wonder why he applied for that internship. The problem was he didn't tell Quinn about it. When he was accepted, it was a big decision for him whether to go even if it means leaving Quinn or stay to be with her and give up his dreams. 

Of course, they had their battles. But that's the reason I felt that it was too short. I needed more. More of their encounters even after Torrin accepted the internship. Or maybe more days before Torrin went away. Somehow, I felt like it can already just be added to Stripped. Or that it was fast forward.

But hey, it made me feel that the two of them have somehow changed over a few months. Some scars have already healed and some were still healing. It's a process and they were both there for each other so it's really cool.  And honestly, Torrin is really such a guy. Damn, where can we see Torrin here? What he did for Quinn was really sweet and utterly selfless. Sure, Quinn too was selfless by letting Torrin realize his own dreams. They both wanted the best for each other! In the end, Quinn and Torrin were able to sort things out together. And I'm glad they'll live happily together.

Oh and read my review for Stripped.

Stripped Without You is a nice novel about two people finding love despite the unusual circumstances they were given.

Excerpt

         I close my eyes against the feeling that the whole building is pressing down on my chest, at the same time remembering something Quinn said to me when we first met.
         Only those who avoid love and can avoid grief.
     Her reasons for avoiding love were different back then; she thought her sister killed herself over a guy, but... I don't know, maybe Quinn was on to something; staying miles away fro, the one thing that's capable of making her feel like she's actually dying. Make me feel like dying. Like my heart's being ripped from my chest. Hollowing me out, emptying my veins until nothing but a fragile shell is left behind.
       I rest my forehead against the locker, my hot breath mingling with cold metal. Water drips down my back, the ghost of a touch like one of Quinn's fingertips. The whisper of her breath I may never feel again.
       The heel of my palm slams numbly into the locker, echoing an angry blow throughout the small, stuffy room. No one's around so I do it again. And again. I don't know who to hate more; I don't know who to blame for this ugliness inside me.
      My hand balls into a fist, ready to strike again when, suddenly, Quinn's tiny hands grab my wrists. I flinch at her touch, the way her soft fingers squeeze and restrain against the last bit of will that courses through my body. Dressed now, she looks up at me, eyes and lips flat and unsmiling.
       "Torrin," she whispers, stepping closer. Her leg brushes mine and if it were anyone else, I'd fight. Push away. Leave.
        But not with her.    
        Never her.
       "Please don't say anything," I say. More words linger under my breath, jagged and raw.
        I love you.
        You are my everything.
        Don't walk away.
       I look into her eyes, try to memorize them without the glisten of tears and etch of lines crawling out from the corners...blurring through my own tears. She blinks, and a tiny teardrop slides onto her cheek.
      "Torrin," she says, louder and with more strength. Taking a deep breath she squares her shoulders, letting her arms fall to her sides and looks me dead-on--cold and hard just like the first time I met her. "You can't say."
       "Goddamit, Quinn. I'm not leaving you."
        Eyes wide, she eases a step back.
      I inhale a measured breath, focus on lowering my voice and continue. "Don't you see? You are far more important than any job--any photography or not." I slide my fingers between hers and gesture to the opening between us. "This, right here...us...I'm not willing to give up. I don't want to go."
        A short, soundless moment pulses--long enough that I think she might be accepting my words--until she blinks and says, "Have you ever heard yourself talk about photography? The passion in your voice, Torrin, it's unmistakable. It's the type of passion tht drives people like you to go on and do amazing things with their talent." A look of finality washes over her face, erasing every bit of feeling from her features. "Not something to be wasted on me."
       She heads for the door to the hallway, the edges of her skirt clinging to her still-damp skin. The door swishes closed behind her, and I let my eyes drift to the moisture-stained ceiling.
      My head against the wall, I close my eyes. Is what she said true? I'm trying to stay because I don't want to leave her here alone? Instead of wanting to stay to be with her?
       But she's not alone. She's got her family a few miles away, her roommate, Nikki, who should be back from Vermont any day now, other friends in her dorm....
         Quietly, I pad into the pool room, get dressed, and retrieve my phone. I hit redial on the New York number from yesterday. The line rings twice, and then a squeaky voice answers.
         "Ms. Mann?"
         "This is she."
         "This is Torrin Kingsley. I've made my decision."

 About the Author 

Brooklyn Skye grew up in a small town where she quickly realized writing was an escape from small town life. Really, she’s just your average awkward girl who’s obsessed with words. Her Best Selling New Adult debut, STRIPPED, is out NOW! Represented by Bree Ogden of D4EO Literary Agency.

 Website | Twitter | Goodreads

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