Title: Rootless
Author: Chris Howard (Twitter)
Publisher: Scholastic
Publish Date: November 1, 2012
Genre: YA, Dystopian
Pages: 336
Source: Publisher

17-year-old Banyan is a tree builder. Using scrap metal and salvaged junk, he creates forests for rich patrons who seek a reprieve from the desolate landscape. Although Banyan's never seen a real tree—they were destroyed more than a century ago—his father used to tell him stories about the Old World. But that was before his father was taken.

Everything changes when Banyan meets a woman with a strange tattoo—a clue to the whereabouts of the last living trees on earth, and he sets off across a wasteland from which few return. Those who make it past the pirates and poachers can't escape the locusts—the locusts that now feed on human flesh. But Banyan isn't the only one looking for the trees, and he's running out of time. Unsure of whom to trust, he's forced to make an uneasy alliance with Alpha, an alluring, dangerous pirate with an agenda of her own.

Banyan lives in a world where the trees have long since withered and died. His world is one of the artificial, and he spends his days building trees to recreate the forests that once were. These trees, however, are different. They're made from scraps of materials like rubber and lights, and only the richest of patrons can afford his trees. But when Banyan meets a woman with a tattoo that shows him that the last living trees might be more reality than mythology, he knows he needs to find them...and fast. He's drawn to this last living bit of nature, and he when he sets out on a quest to find them at all costs, he's in for the journey of a lifetime. 

This genre has been so hit or miss for me as of late, but when I first read Rootless, I was really blown away by not only the concept, but the rich, vivid details that author, Chris Howard, offers his readers. This cautionary tale is cleverly disguised in a world of metal, plastic and other man-made materials. Nature is a distant memory, long since eradicated through the meticulous and destructive work of a corporation dominating the nation's food industry. With a world that's carefully-crafted, a strong and empathetic cast of characters and a soulful mission to find what's left of our world, Rootless soars.

Rootless was, in a nutshell, one heck of an epic journey. Think about the best quests you've ever read about, and then times it by ten. That's what this story offers us. We're given Banyan, a teen boy with a steady job as a tree builder, but with a chance to find a piece of our heritage and save what little might just be left of the world. His soul shines through his quest, and his courage, determination, humour and general good-natured persona has us invested from the start. Not once did I find his journey disingenuous or his motives less than honest. We're also given a host of pirates who are incredibly detailed, entertaining and truly original. These female pirates are gorgeous and powerful, dominating the swamplands of Old Orleans, and we're introduced to Alpha, a dynamic pirate with an agenda of her own. Through it all, we're presented with this barren wasteland of a world, and Rootless definitely displays the fact that it is a cautionary tale with complete sincerity. The author could easily have become preachy, but instead, by offering us a faceless corporation, GenTech, we can see distinct parallels between our worlds and the one within the pages of Rootless. It's a definitive wakeup call, and it's also a subtle call to action, or at the very least a commentary on the fact that our world needs a careful reminder of the potentially harmful repercussions of tinkering with our food and crop supply. Most of all though, the plot moves steadily forward, as does Banyan's quest, and we become fully invested in finding this long-lost forest, as well, hoping against hope that there might just be something there for Banyan - and for the rest of the world.

Honestly, I haven't seen to many reviews of Rootless, and that saddens me. It far exceeded my expectations, and it's right up there on my list of favourite dystopians now. I give it a 5 out of 5, and I highly recommend it to all fans of YA, especially those who enjoy dystopian novels with subtle social commentary.

I received this book free of charge from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This, in no way, affected my opinion or review of this book.

Title: Anna Dressed in Blood
Author: Kendare Blake
Publisher: Tor
Publish Date: August 30, 2011
Genre: YA, Paranormal
Pages: 316
Source: Publisher

Cas Lowood has inherited an unusual vocation: He kills the dead. So did his father before him, until he was gruesomely murdered by a ghost he sought to kill. Now, armed with his father's mysterious and deadly athame, Cas travels the country with his kitchen-witch mother and their spirit-sniffing cat. Together they follow legends and local lore, trying to keep up with the murderous dead—keeping pesky things like the future and friends at bay.

When they arrive in a new town in search of a ghost the locals call Anna Dressed in Blood, Cas doesn't expect anything outside of the ordinary: track, hunt, kill. What he finds instead is a girl entangled in curses and rage, a ghost like he's never faced before. She still wears the dress she wore on the day of her brutal murder in 1958: once white, now stained red and dripping with blood. Since her death, Anna has killed any and every person who has dared to step into the deserted Victorian she used to call home.

Cassius Theseus Lowood is as unusual as his name implies. The only son of a white witch and a ghost hunter, Cas inherited his strange trade at the tender age of fourteen when his father was brutally murdered by the ghost he was hunting. Now, while other kids his age are thinking about college, Cas is armed with an atheme and preparing to meet the most dangerous ghost he may ever meet. Her name is Anna, and the white dress she was murdered in over fifty years ago is stained with her own blood. Cas has been planning it for a long time, but the time has come. Daring to enter Anna's domain is one thing. Expecting to come out alive is another. But Cas and Anna have a lot more than blood and vengeance in common though.

It's no secret that I'm a fan of horror (even if I do have to watch the aforementioned horror movies with my ears plugged so I'm not as terrified.) Truthfully though, books that are dark, or slightly unhinged, or perhaps just tinged with the macabre are books that I seek and don't often find. Anna Dressed in Blood, however, wholeheartedly fit all my criteria. Author Kendare Blake has written an inspired debut that is bone-chillingly gruesome and graphic, all the while spellbinding you with rich, vivid and breathtaking prose that mesmerizes you and keeps you transfixed. With an intense and action-packed plot and a story that very well leaps from the pages, Anna Dressed in Blood is sure to captivate even the most reluctant horror fan.

Anna Dressed in Blood was a bit of a mystery from the start. Cas's fate was sealed when his father died. He knew he wanted to avenge his father's death, and he wanted to carry on his father's legacy by dispatching the angry dead who haunt their former haunts. His life is a maze of complexities though. He's balancing an attempt at teenage normalcy as instructed by his mother, all the while attempted to banish the most gruesome ghost he's ever encountered. His anger is acrid, and his fear is tangible, but so is his heart. Then there's Anna. Anna, was a million things at once, making her a character that I loved and feared throughout Anna Dressed in Blood. The visual of Anna in her bloodstained dress is gory, as his her daunting reputation, but the beauty of her character is that she was equal parts a murderer and a victim. She's a vicious killing machine, but there are shreds of the little girl she once was underneath her morbid facade. The relationship between Anna and Cas in Anna Dressed in Blood is going down as one of the most memorable I've read in a very long time. The combination of Cas's wit and sarcasm met head-to-head with Anna's vengeful, yet captivating demeanor was a web that slowly unravels, but keeps you guessing until the very end. Above all else though, Anna Dressed in Blood is a perfect blend of shock value and utter entertainment, offering both the best of horror and the best of character-driven plots.

Anna Dressed in Blood is one of those rare books with near-perfect execution. Flawlessly engaging and original, it's sure to be on my list of re-reads for a very long time. I give it a 5 out of 5, and I highly recommend it to all YA fans, especially those who enjoy paranormal stories and ghost stories. Fans of the television show, Supernatural, are sure to love this book.

I received this book free of charge from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This, in no way, affected my opinion or review of this book.

Title: Pure
Author: Julianna Baggott
Publisher: Grand Central
Publish Date: February 8, 2012
Genre: YA, Dystopian
Pages: 448
Source: Publisher

We know you are here, our brothers and sisters . . . Pressia barely remembers the Detonations or much about life during the Before. And now, at an age when everyone is required to turn themselves over to the militia to either be trained as a soldier or, if they are too damaged and weak, to be used as live targets, Pressia can no longer pretend to be small. Pressia is on the run.

Burn a Pure and Breathe the Ash . . . There are those who escaped the apocalypse unmarked. Pures. They are tucked safely inside the Dome that protects their healthy, superior bodies. Yet Partridge, whose father is one of the most influential men in the Dome, feels isolated and lonely. Different. So when a slipped phrase suggests his mother might still be alive, Partridge risks his life to leave the Dome to find her.

When Pressia meets Partridge, their worlds shatter all over again.

Pressia's life has always been measured in days. A day alive was a day of success. A day in which she makes it through unscathed is another day she's beaten the odds. Pressia is marked and not pure. On the other hand, Partridge is a Pure. He should feel blessed. His life is superior. His days aren't numbered, and he lives in the safety of the Dome, but something's missing. He's on a quest to find that missing piece, and when he voluntarily relinquishes his life in the Dome, he realizes just how dire the world of the those outside and meeting Pressia might just change everything.

This book doesn't release until February, and I had every intention of waiting to review it, but a rave review from my brother-in-law's sister convinced me to bump it up in my queue. Pure is dystopian in every sense of the word. Picture a world that's as picturesque as possible, without war, or greed, or hatred. Now picture the exact opposite. Julianna Baggott has created an eerily real world that is terrifying, horrifying and entirely magnetic and tangible. Vivid and accessible, the world within Pure is written with a haunting prose and tone that latches onto the reader and refuses to let go.

Pure truly embodies bleakness. Gritty and action-packed, the book perfectly balances character and plot, letting the two feed off one another and fuel the fire of the story. Pressia's life was painful to read, and I'll admit that I had my doubts about the doll head being fused to her body. Partridge, likewise, could easily have come off as an arrogant, self-entitled jerk who wanted more than he had for no greater reason than to want, but his genuine desire to find his mother, hold onto hope and discover a truth within himself was endearing and engaging. The world of Pure, however, was breathtaking in the most cringe-worthy way. The wake of the nuclear holocaust was so descriptive and detailed that it was mesmerizing, painful and raw. The best par of Pure though was that it makes the reader uneasy and feel unsettled long after the final page. It makes one think "what if?" What if we go too far one day, and we can't turn back? Pure presents this war between the haves and have-nots is horrifying in the best possible way.

I'm so glad to see a dystopian book step outside of the ordinary, boring little "teen romance with a touch of dystopia" mold. Pure is a powerful first book in a planned trilogy with cross-genre appeal that is certain to make the reader feel. I give it a 5 out of 5, and I highly recommend it to both YA and adults, especially those who enjoy dystopian fiction.

I received this ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This, in no way, affected my opinion or review of this book.

Title: The Adoration of Jenna Fox
Author: Mary E. Pearson
Publisher: Square Fish
Published: April 29, 2008
Genre: YA, Dystopian
Pages: 266
Source: Personal Copy

Seventeen-year-old Jenna Fox has just awoken from a year-long coma — so she’s been told — and she is still recovering from the terrible accident that caused it. But what happened before that? She’s been given home movies chronicling her entire life, which spark memories to surface.

But are the memories really hers? And why won’t anyone in her family talk about the accident? Jenna is becoming more curious. But she is also afraid of what she might find out if she ever gets up the courage to ask her questions. What happened to Jenna Fox? And who is she really?

Jenna isn’t sure who she is anymore, and it’s not your normal teenage angst, crisis of conscience sort of thing. Jenna Fox truly has no idea who she is. After a terrible accident and a year-long coma, Jenna wakes to a world where she has no memories of anything except those of being a toddler. She does, however know everything about world history, and she can spew the great works as though they’re simple conversation. But Jenna no longer eats. Jenna isn’t sure what’s real and what’s not, and Jenna has to decide if she’s strong enough to find out what really happened to her while she was asleep.

I’ve really never read any reviews for The Adoration of Jenna Fox. No, I’m not kidding. There was something about this book that made me not really understand it just by reading the back cover, so I didn’t pick it up. I’m so glad I read it now though. Mary E. Pearson has created a world within The Adoration of Jenna Fox that’s neither reality nor true fantasy. It’s not a utopia, but it’s not quite a true dystopia either. That’s the beauty of the book. The world in which Jenna lives is sort of a gray area. Neither black nor white, it’s a world where ethics are blurred and morals are changed to fit the person, and it’s world that both terrifies and fascinates me.

You know those books that stay with you long after you finish them? The Adoration of Jenna Fox is one of those. It’s a bit of a slow-burning book. The prose isn’t flowery or fancy, but rather simple and succinct, letting the voice of Jenna, the narrator, lead the story. She’s believable, relatable, and heartbreaking. She has one of the most realistic and endearing voices I’ve read in a dystopian book in a while. Her confusion resonates from every page and adds to the element of mystery coursing through the book. The Adoration of Jenna Fox is the story of one girl living in a society where things changed while she was asleep, and in order for Jenna to catch up, she must discover the truth about what’s happened to her.

I can’t believe I waited so long to read this one. I give The Adoration of Jenna Fox a 5 out of 5, hands down. While this book doesn’t really fit into one set genre, I’d recommend it to both YA and adult audiences, especially those who enjoy dystopian, science-fiction and mystery novels because there’s a bit of something for everyone.

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 governments 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.
Taken from GoodReads.

Delirium follows the story of Lena, a teenage girl just months away from being cured of a heinous disease on her 18th birthday. The disease? It's love. Scientists have declared it to be the root of all physical ailments and now mandate that all people upon turning 18 must be cured. Lena has had a rocky past with a family history of sympathizers, pain, and great tragedy, but she trusts society and can't wait to be cured. She never thought that she would encounter something that she thought couldn't happen to her...she falls in love, and she has to decide if love is right or if she's on a path to true happiness.

I'm probably one of the few that didn't finish Before I Fall, simply because I couldn't get into it. That said, I found that I really adored Lauren Oliver's writing style, so I was excited to give Delirium a go. Once again, Lauren Oliver's writing is near-perfect, mastering a difficult tense – first person/present – with ease. She created both a world and an incredible character voice for Lena that makes it impossible for you not to be drawn into the world Lena lives in.

Dystopian is a hit right now, and the key is finding a fresh and original idea. Delirium presents a future society where love is outlawed, and a pseudo-labotomy is performed to keep citizens from suffering. Lena knows firsthand though that an absence of love can create a disconnect, and though she implicitly trusts the law, she has a nagging fear in the back of her mind. She's a completely tangible character with the desire to right her family's wrongs, but love intervenes and she must decide her own path. Complete with a cast of secondary characters including Alex and Hanna, Delirium is a stunning and realistic portrayal of a teenage girl's journey to find herself, despite the futuristic dystopian setting.

I'm not one to go by hype alone, but I'll keep singing Delirium's praises because it is a truly novel (no pun intended) idea with incredible writing and characters to back it. I give it a perfect 5 out of 5, and I'd recommend it to all fans of YA, especially those who enjoy dystopian and romance, as well as coming of age tales. This title releases on February 1, 2011.

I received this book free of charge from HarperCollins and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This, in no way, affected my opinion or review of this book.