Title: After the End
Author: Amy Plum (Twitter)
Publisher: HarperCollins
Publish Date: May 6, 2014
Genre: YA, Dystopian, Sci-Fi
Pages: 352
Source: Personal Copy

World War III has left the world ravaged by nuclear radiation. A lucky few escaped to the Alaskan wilderness. They've survived for the last thirty years by living off the land, being one with nature, and hiding from whoever else might still be out there. At least, this is what Juneau has been told her entire life.

When Juneau returns from a hunting trip to discover that everyone in her clan has vanished, she sets off to find them. Leaving the boundaries of their land for the very first time, she learns something horrifying: There never was a war. Cities were never destroyed. The world is intact. Everything was a lie.

Now Juneau is adrift in a modern-day world she never knew existed. But while she's trying to find a way to rescue her friends and family, someone else is looking for her. Someone who knows the extraordinary truth about the secrets of her past.

It's taken me a long time to both read and review After the End, in large part because I feel like the dystopian genre, although downright entertaining at times, has been a bit overplayed in the past couple of years. I was, however, intrigued by the premise of the novel because it seems so very different from the dystopian novels I've read as of late. If anything, it offers us a faux dystopian, which is remarkable because, if done right, we'd have the chance to see just how powerful those behind it would have to be…and why they did it. With veteran author, Amy Plum, at the helm of this one, I knew that I would love the writing, so I just needed to see if I would actually love the story, as well.

In terms of characterization, I absolutely loved how Juneau and Miles were complete opposites. Juneau lived in a society that believed they lived after the destruction of World War III. Miles, on the other hand, lives a fairly average and boring existence in his normal, everyday life and when their paths collided I knew that we were in for a treat. There was a beautiful dichotomy to the fact that they both thought the other was nuts. While Juneau's point of view was confused, but articulate, we saw Miles' as bewildered and just going along for the ride. There are massive trust issues that course through their interactions, as well, which kept the tension alive throughout After the End - especially because these two worlds have collided in a way that seems entirely implausible and chaotic.

The plot's pacing, however, was a different ballgame for me. After the End starts with a bang, and sets off at a rapid pace, propelling us on this journey to discover the nature of Juneau's world vs. Miles' world. And, for the first third of the book, I found myself unable to stop reading. However, as the story begins to evolve into a bigger picture where Miles and Juneau's lives intersect, it becomes a bit of a roadtrip story that's much more introspective than action-filled. I wanted more from those chapters, simply because I felt that they lagged after such an impressive start. Luckily, however, the pace picks back up in the end, and we're propelled towards a grand conclusion that definitely sets the stage for future installments.

In the end though, I have very mixed feelings about After the End. On the one hand, I loved the utterly original take on the dystopian genre, and I enjoyed how vastly different our two main characters were. On the other hand though, I wanted a little more consistency throughout, and I felt a bit like this novel was setting us up for future drama. In the end, that's great, but it tends to throw off my interest in the meat of the story a bit. I give it a high 3.5 out of 5, and I recommend it to fans of YA, especially those who enjoy dystopian and sci-fi novels. 

Title: Mortal Danger
Author: Ann Aguirre (Twitter)
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Publish Date: August 5, 2014
Genre: YA, Paranormal
Pages: 384
Source: Publisher

Edie Kramer has a score to settle with the beautiful people at Blackbriar Academy. Their cruelty drove her to the brink of despair, and four months ago, she couldn't imagine being strong enough to face her senior year. But thanks to a Faustian compact with the enigmatic Kian, she has the power to make the bullies pay. She's not supposed to think about Kian once the deal is done, but devastating pain burns behind his unearthly beauty, and he's impossible to forget.

In one short summer, her entire life changes, and she sweeps through Blackbriar, prepped to take the beautiful people down from the inside. A whisper here, a look there, and suddenly... bad things are happening. It's a heady rush, seeing her tormentors get what they deserve, but things that seem too good to be true usually are, and soon, the pranks and payback turns from delicious to deadly. Edie is alone in a world teeming with secrets and fiends lurking in the shadows. In this murky morass of devil's bargains, she isn't sure who—or what--she can trust. Not even her own mind...

I've been pondering on how to review this one for several days now, mostly because we all know how much I enjoy the dark and twisty stories. Mortal Danger, however, presents a unique twist onto such stories adding a very intriguing, if a bit vague, paranormal element to the mix. Author, Ann Aguirre, gives readers a lot more than they necessarily have bargained for. Giving readers a heavy-handed dose of high school reality with a chance not to just get angry - but to get even - it's the type of story that you want to get on board for…but you want to be careful not to lose yourself in the vengeance, as well.

Edie was a fantastic character from the start for me. I felt that her pain, her despair and her inner turmoil were extremely real and tangible. It was so real, in fact, that I admired the fact that she was still able to think somewhat coherently because such smothering anger and distress can be all-consuming. Yet, underneath it all, we were still able to see how incredibly intelligent and logical she was, and that was by far her most redeeming character trait. Edie knows that Kian's offer can't be as simple as it sounds, and she understands that there are consequences. For a girl at the end of her rope to logically process and accept that definitely helped me become further invested in her plight, simply because she wasn't the oblivious and blind heroine.

Kian, on the other hand, remains a bit of an enigma to me long after closing the last page of the book. On the surface, I can tell you that he's handsome - dangerously so - and he has a sort of stoic power that resonates from the page. There's a sinister sort of power lurking in the background of his being that made it inherently difficult to trust him, though it's clear that he's allied with Edie. However, Mortal Danger is careful never to reveal too much, and we don't really understand the driving force(s) behind him, the deal and the actions that Edie is going to go through.

In terms of the plot, I'll be honest and say that I thought this was going to be a pretty straightforward revenge novel. The synopsis, as well as the title, imply that the underlying theme of Mortal Danger is the actual act of revenge that Edie will be seeking. I was surprised to find that there was a new sort of depth to the plot though, which offered us more than a cut-and-dried approach to one intelligent teen girl seeking to right the wrongs previously done to her. And, in the end, that really won me over. While, yes, we're privy to elements of revenge, we instead watch in awe as Edie manages to regain power and composure through the novel and, if anything, that's the best revenge I could have imagined for a first installment in a series like this.

Overall, despite the fact that I'd hoped to learn more about the driving powers behind Kian and Edie's pact, I have to say that this book thoroughly entertained and captivated me. It's the type of novel that offers us a surprising amount of depth when we don't necessarily expect it. I give it a strong 4 out of 5, and I highly recommend it to all fans of YA, especially those who like paranormal stories.

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.

Fantasy, my friends, is on the rise. While it's kind of a hit or miss sort of genre for me, when it's done really well, I tend to fawn over the book for years - much like I do for sci-fi novels. I honestly love worlds that abound with witches, wizards, magic, other realms and dark creatures bent on vengeance. So, naturally, when I find a book that piques my interest, you'd better believe it becomes a future favourite immediately!

Title: Monstrous
Author: MarcyKate Connolly (Twitter)
Publisher: Harper Children's
Publish Date: February 10, 2015
Genre: YA, Fantasy
Pages: 432

The city of Bryre suffers under the magic of an evil wizard. Because of his curse, girls sicken and disappear without a trace, and Bryre’s inhabitants live in fear. No one is allowed outside after dark.

Yet night is the only time that Kymera can enter this dangerous city, for she must not be seen by humans. Her father says they would not understand her wings, the bolts in her neck, or her spiky tail—they would kill her. They would not understand that she was created for a purpose: to rescue the girls of Bryre.

Despite her caution, a boy named Ren sees Kym and begins to leave a perfect red rose for her every evening. As they become friends, Kym learns that Ren knows about the missing girls, the wizard, and the evil magic that haunts Bryre.

And what he knows will change Kym’s life.

Monstrous is supposedly reminiscent by the tales of the Brothers Grimm, as well as Frankenstein, which has me positively salivating over it. There seems to be this beautiful blend of rich drama, fantastic creatures and an overarching story of good vs. evil - all of which speaks to my soul. Plus, it doesn't hurt that the cover is simply to die for. It says this one is good for the upper middle-grade crowd, as well, but so was Harry Potter, so I'm hardly concerned. Sign me up! What do you think, and what are you waiting on this week?

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly feature from Jill at Breaking the Spine.