Space Opera Pick: Pitch Dark

Pitch Dark
by Courtney Alameda
Feiwel and Friends
2018
384  pages
ISBN: 97812500085894

Pitch Dark is one of the best books of the year. A science fiction horror story that is chock full of gore, action and moxie. Tuck and his family jettisoned from Earth on the John Muir, a spacecraft. He wakes up from stasis  four hundred years later, and finds himself alone (?)  on the ship. Alone, except for the monsters who used to be human and a few other humans. Most of the crew died, but those who didn't mutated into fast and furious beasts capable of killing with just their voice. Tuck learns to kill them, but must always be wary of attack. An engineer, Tuck keeps the ship running with the hope of someday someone will rescue them.

Laura Cruz is on the Conquistador with archeologists and scientists from post apocalyptic Earth. She's  a teen hacker who sabotages her own ship's mainframe in order to remove a chip that controls her. Another hacker with evil intent is  on board. The Conquistador finds damaged spaceship John Muir and attempts to come alongside it to see if  anyone survived or if it contains any artifacts they need in order to save Earth.

Laura is horrified when her ship collides with the derelict wreck of John Muir. Her mother and family escape the Conquistador in a smaller ship leaving a trail of clues for her to follow. Laura boards the John Muir and meets Tuck. The two of them must  survive the monsters, keep the John Muir intact  and pray for discovery before their supplies run out or the monsters kill them.

The rapid pace of Pitch Dark will keep  pages turning at a furious pace. Teen readers (and adults) who seek a thrill ride will love Pitch Dark. Even this non-SF fan loved the story and the characters, and I read it in one sitting.  Sublime pacing, expert world building and a resounding story make this book a solid five stars. There's no one I'd rather be lost in space with than Tuck and Laura.

Highly, highly recommended for every sci-fi reader and every YA fan. You won't forget this book!

Grades 9 and up for gore and violence.

Zombie Pick: Red Hill

Red Hill
by Jamie McGuire
Atria
2013
356 pages

Utterly enjoyable, unputdownable, and hugely entertaining, Red Hill is an adult zombie book that you can really sink your teeth into! (pun intended)



Scarlet drops off her daughters at school and heads to her job at the hospital. She had no way of knowing if she would ever see them again. Suddenly, the hospital is overrun with sick people. The news reports begin coming in from all over the world. There is an outbreak of some kind and the infected are contagious. Scarlet knows enough to flee the hospital and try to find her girls.

Nathan flees the city with his young daughter Zoe. Sisters Miranda and Ashley are supposed to meet their dad at their country getaway, Red Hill. They grab their boyfriends and head to the countryside encountering hordes of sick "people."

Scarlet prays that her girls will remember the Red Hill location where she did some cleaning for a doctor at work. The girls made up a song about the directions, so she's banking on the fact that they will remember that song. Joey, just back from Afghanistan, joins Miranda, Ashley, Bryce and Cooper as they all head for sanctuary.

Can a group of strangers work together to survive the zombie outbreak? Will Scarlet ever find her daughters again? Will romance blossom amid terror?


Recommended for mature readers high school and up. Language, mature situations, zombie gore and guts.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

Book Giveaway: Monsters

Monsters
by Ilsa J. Bick
Egmont
2013
688 pages


I have FIVE free copies of the last installment in the Ashes trilogy by Ilsa J. Bick. Don't let its daunting size scare you...the story inside will do just that! Bick delivers a taut thriller rife with monsters--those outside and those inside. Who do you trust when you can't trust yourself?

Simply post a comment to the blog and be sure to include your first name, city, state and email address. Deadline for posts is Tuesday, September 6 at noon MST. Winners will be chosen randomly by Randomizer on that date. Be sure and check your email after noon on that date. Winners have 24 hours to respond to my email. Books will ship from New York courtesy of Egmont and Kristyn. Thank you, Egmont. Thank you, Kristyn.

Good luck and start posting, Pamela.

Dystopian Pick: Skylark

Skylark
By Meagan Spooner
Carolrhoda Lab
2012
333 pages

Dystopian and downright disturbing, multi-layered and darkly fascinating, bizarrely novel and breathtakingly beautiful, dangerous yet grotesquely compelling, Skylark hits all the right notes. This is one YA novel that readers will never forget.

Set in a disturbing dystopian world where the City “harvests” the lifesource of its own children, stripping them of their magic and well being when they come of age, the city uses the children’s magic powers for the good of all. Lark Ainsley knew that someday would be her day to help her city. She had no idea that the city intends to use ALL of her.

She escapes a fate worse than death and flees outside the “safety” of the City. A frightening encounter with a woman like her compels her into action. She knows that they will never quit looking for her, but dying trying to escape is better than “living” as a silent conduit slave for the city’s power supply. Kris helps Lark escape, and she runs into the wilds where she meets a wild boy named Oren. Oren has been alone for many years, doing whatever is necessary to survive and escape the dark ones. He knows where the Iron Wood is located and reluctantly agrees to accompany Lark.

Lark knows there is safety in the Iron Wood; there are others like her—others who can do magic, others who have fled their own cities. The words from Robert Frost have never been more foreboding, “The woods are lovely, dark and deep…” What will Lark find in the Iron Wood? Will she and Oren finally be safe?

Teen readers will race through the pages empathizing with lovely and spirited Lark—Lark, the girl who never gives up. No matter what the consequences, Lark faces danger head-on. She is the fiercest teen heroine to date; I’d want Lark on my dystopian/apocalypse/ zombie fighting team. She is a force of nature!

This is the first book in a planned trilogy—teen readers will not want to wait long for the next installment. This series is not to be missed!

The beautiful cover art will stop teens in their tracks. The sunlight filtering in through the "trees" and the sharp iron spikes are eerily spooky. The title Skylark is non-threatening and poetic--but the iron spikes give the reader the idea that even though the cover is beautiful, there is something stronger and darker in the story. I love this compelling cover, and I think it will be considered one of the best covers of the year.

Highly, highly recommended grades 7-up. The harvest requires the person to remove his/her clothing, but it’s not in the least bit sexual. Similar to a werewolf obviously can’t wear clothing when he/she changes forms. No language. No sex. Violence and disturbing dystopia. Think The Hunger Games mixed with A Long Long Sleep and a bit of disturbing science fiction/medical/ethical dilemmas similar to Coma.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

This review has been posted in compliance with the FTC requirements set forth in the Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising (available at ftc.gov/os/2009/10/091005revisedendorsementguides.pdf)

Dystopian Pick: Ashes

Ashes
by Ilsa J. Bick
Egmont
2011
480 pages

Available September 6, 2011

(Blogger's Note: I read this novel in one day and passed it on to my husband who is retired ex-military and who loves survival, zombie, and military books. He couldn't put it down either. This is the BEST dystopian book I've read this year. Don't miss it!)

Gritty, grim, grotesque, gruesome, gratifying and ultimately deeply satisfying, Ashes is this year's best ya dystopian novel. It will have crossover appeal into the adult market and is, in fact, being marketed heavily on military bases and sci-fi, zombie fan,teen blogs and websites.

From the first pages, Ashes grabs the reader, shakes her awake, and takes her on a relentless journey through disaster and ruin, and doesn't let go her go even after the very last word is read and processed. I found myself thinking about this novel for days afterwards wondering, "what if...?" Ashes is the first book in a planned trilogy and the ending leaves you wanting more. Readers will plan to read all three books if the next two are anywhere near as entertaining and compelling as Ashes.

Alex leaves her aunt's home near Chicago to venture into the Waucamaw Wilderness near Lake Superior. She is on an odyssey to save herself and free herself from the "monster," an inoperable brain tumor that will likely kill her soon. Orphaned at age fifteen when her parents were killed in a horrific accident, Alex has learned to be fiercely independent and caustic to strangers she meets. Hiking on the mountain, she runs into a friendly dog, a feisty nine year old with a real attitude and a sweet old grandfatherly type.

An electomagnetic pulse hits and Jack, the grandfather, dies instantly. Alex is knocked to the ground and her brain feels like its on fire. The world has fallen apart and Alex is left to deal with an orphaned nine year old and her dog.

The trio soon find out that nothing is the same. The pulse has changed animals and people, too. They are attacked by a madman who attempts to kill them with his bare hands until a shot rings out, saving Alex. When she wakes two days later, she is introduced to Tom, the man who saved her. Tom is home on leave from Afghanistan and has demons of his own. Tom and Alex figure that a mass of EMP's have been set off to destroy all communications and everything that runs on a battery. The sun turns red and the moon is green at night.

As the foursome try to make it north, they soon realize there's not just one madman, everyone over age 21 has changed into zombie-like creatures. Only the very young and the very old are spared. It makes no sense. Why didn't the blast affect the old people? Why are the children saved? And why is Alex not affected...yet?

When they are separated, Alex escapes death only because dogs now seem to LOVE her. The dogs seem to know who has "changed" or who is "changing." Yet, they embrace Alex as their pack leader. The town of Rule takes her in hoping that her "skills" will help them overcome the zombie hordes. But things are not always as they seem; sometimes those in the right turn out to be horribly wrong...

Part survival novel, part zombie wars, part romance, part dystopian, part sci-fi, part realistic fiction, Ashes is a thrilling read. This book will garner a lot of attention among readers and will likely be on YALSA's (Young Adult Library Services Association) list of Teens' Top Ten for 2011. This is book one of a planned trilogy. I can't wait for books two and three!

Highly, highly recommended grades 8 and up. No sex but lots of gore. Violence. Zombie fans and dystopian fans will eat (pun intended) this up!

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive any monetary compensation for this review.

Dystopian Pick: Enclave

Enclave
by Ann Aguirre
Feiwel and Friends (Macmillan)
2011
272 pages

Chilling, caustic, creepy, and cutting, Enclave will have fans of dystopian fiction turning pages at a rapid-fire pace.

In this barren post-apocalyptic dystopia, there are only three groups you can find yourself in: Builders, Breeders or Hunters. Deuce trains to be a Hunter and earns that right after fifteen years. Even in such an important role, Deuce finds it's hard to follow the code of the Enclave. Rules were meant to keep them all safe, but some rules are dangerous and Deuce knows if they are not broken, they could all die.

When paired with smoldering bad boy Fade, Deuce begins to question the rules; when they are both banished, Deuce must rely on Fade for everything, including her life. If they are going to get to safety and away from the Freaks, human-like but zombie-like beings that feed on humans, they are going to need more help.

Enclave is a dangerous thrill-ride and should have wide appeal to both boys and girls. Deuce makes for a great female--fierce almost super-hero. Fans of The Hunger Games and The Forest of Hands and Teeth will like this gritty and gruesome novel.

Highly recommended grade 8-up.
Violence, mention of Breeders--those whose sole job is to keep the species alive and to procreate.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received the arc from the publisher. It was originally titled Razorland and had a very different cover. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.