I absolutely adored the Until the End of the World Series, and I love the realism and practicality Fleming depicts a zombie apocalypse with, but I struggled with the pacing on this one. Though I always love her found family vibes, for the number of words, we didn’t make quite the progress I’d hoped. The audiobook narration was awesome, but if you’re looking for a zombie apocalypse book, I still recommend you read Until the End of the World first. I’m not sure I’ll continue on with these.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
And since I’m updating my blog from my kid’s karate practice, you get a self-doodle reaction instead of a selfie.
What I liked: – Adam & Juliette have a super cute relationship – I like how the mystery of Juliette & the world in general kind of unfolded – The writing style and format had a intensely emotional/lyrical feel
What I didn’t like: – In many ways, this plot is super simple – While I thought it started out unique, the ending I found to be very much… not. – This book doesn’t really stand on its own – I think it requires the sequel to flesh things out – I’m pretty sure a pair of good gloves could’ve solved most of Juliette’s problems.
Overall, recommend for anyone looking for an engaging YA dystopian with a heavy side of romance and a distinctly X-men flavor.
⭐⭐⭐¾
This one came highly recommended from a friend, but I’m not sold on picking up book 2.
The Controlled by P.J. Willett follows a group of teachers and students in a bleak dystopian school after a human experiment goes terribly wrong. And, boy, is this book bleak. I’m all for dystopian shenanigans but these characters are absolutely a product of their horrible environment, and they are *rough*!
The story unfolds the fateful day from the perspectives of several of the main characters. Each one has their flaws and brutal backstory of surviving in this world in which the education system is now corporately controlled and has completely devolved. This book definitely has a message to convey, and it doesn’t hold any punches as it leans into a, at times, amusingly over-the-top caricature of a school under-siege by its mind-controlled-gone-wrong students. This dark narrative was wholly unique and definitely held my attention, but without anyone to truly root for, I didn’t feel super invested in the characters’ fates. However, if you’re looking for a twisted near-future dystopian that serves as an intense reflection on modern trends, I’d definitely give it a look!
Thanks so much to the publisher for the free ebook!
⭐⭐⭐½
Definitely makes the top 3 schools I do NOT want to go to. 😂
This sci-fi dystopian follows Samara, an enslaved, enhanced assassin, and her mark, the idealistic resistance leader, Tristan, as their fates intertwine with that of their brutal, divided world.
I really enjoyed the intricate world-building in this tiered, futuristic society, and the action scenes kept the plot moving at a quick pace. Tristan is easy to like with his unassailable optimism, his devotion to his friends, his cause, and his interesting powers. And while it took me some time to warm up to Samara, she comes a long way throughout the story, and I was rooting for her by the end. Wyatt makes for an interesting, conflicted villain, and the side characters all have very distinct personalities. Probably my only real critique is there is an interesting element of fate running through the book which gave it a little bit of an insta-love spark that I wasn’t a huge fan of, but I think that’s just my subjective opinion.
Overall, I thought this was a very engaging, unique story that I would definitely recommend for fans of sci-fi, dystopian, and a slow burn romance. Heads up though, because the cliffhanger will definitely have you asking for the sequel!
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Real talk, we need more sci-fi romance in the world! NEED!!!
Hayley Reese Chow 