Book Review: Outpost by Ann Aguirre

Outpost by Ann Aguirre
#2 in the Razorland series
Release Date: September 4, 2012
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Pages: 336
Received: ARC from publisher
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Goodreads Page

WARNING! This is a review for book 2 in a series and there ARE spoilers for book 1 in this review!
Haven't started the series yet? Read my review of book 1 instead!

Summary

From Goodreads:

Deuce’s whole world has changed. Down below, she was considered an adult. Now, topside in a town called Salvation, she’s a brat in need of training in the eyes of the townsfolk. She doesn’t fit in with the other girls: Deuce only knows how to fight.

To make matters worse, her Hunter partner, Fade, keeps Deuce at a distance. Her feelings for Fade haven’t changed, but he seems not to want her around anymore. Confused and lonely, she starts looking for a way out.

Deuce signs up to serve in the summer patrols—those who make sure the planters can work the fields without danger. It should be routine, but things have been changing on the surface, just as they did below ground. The Freaks have grown smarter. They’re watching. Waiting. Planning. The monsters don’t intend to let Salvation survive, and it may take a girl like Deuce to turn back the tide.

Review

My expectations killed this book for me

I'm a little whiney about Outpost. On one hand, it was a good, solid book with a decent balance of action and introspection (though, for me, there was a little too much introspection and other stuff and not nearly enough action, but you know me and action).

Ann Aguirre continues to expand Deuce's character and I loved following along as she discovered what it means to have a family. I was even reminded a little of Anne of Green Gables with all the adoptive-parents-dote-on-and-love-adopted-daughter scenes. It was all very sweet and I might have even aw-ed out loud once or twice.

But I didn't want sweet! I wanted ACTION. I wanted to see Deuce and Fade fight back to back and slaughter scary hordes of freaks. This did happen, just not as much as I wanted and not nearly as much as it did in Enclave.

I was especially frustrated with all the time spent on Deuce's repetitive inner-monologues on how she doesn't fit into the society because they expect her to wear a dress and do women's work. Yes, yes, Deuce is a huntress, she's good at killing things, she doesn't do tea parties, I GET IT! I find this particular plot device boring to begin with, so I really had no tolerance for Deuce repeating her complaints OVER AND OVER.

The worst thing though was that it takes almost the entire book for the characters to come to the conclusion that the freaks are getting smarter and are not what they originally seemed. I'm all about gathering facts and making a case to support a plot point, but the problem here is we already know this! Deuce had already pretty much figured this out by the end of Enclave, so the book-long rehash felt like a serious case of series stretching and I was NOT pleased.

It's like opposite day!

I LOVED Fade in Enclave, but my gosh, he turned into such a sissy in Outpost. He's going through a lot of emotional things and Ann Aguirre used him like her fictional punching bag, piling up bad experience after bad experience onto the poor guy. So, yeah, I feel bad for him. But that doesn't mean I'm going to give him a pass for his annoying moping. He totally turned inward and shut everyone out, so I'm really having a hard time connecting with him on any level. He'd better get his act together in the third book or I'm completely recinding all my book boyfriend thoughts.

Stalker was a creepy rapist in Enclave and though he's stopped his raping ways in Outpost, rape isn't really something you can do a takebacksies on. Deuce even mulled over some totally lame reasons for why she should wipe the slate clean for him and I wanted to tear my hair out at her illogical analogies and the excuses she came up with (he didn't know any better! He needed to do it because otherwise someone else would do it and be even worse!).

But...Stalker was kind of a lot more crushable than Fade. I mean, putting aside his past, his present self is loyal, steadfast, resourceful, and totally swoony. He's more of an alpha guy, but he doesn't dominate Deuce either. He seems to love her because she's so capable and he sees her as an equal. Pretty great, right? Except for the whole raping thing. Yeah. I spent a good part of the book swooning and then feeling really, really WRONG.

Teagan loses all her previous points. Her characterization felt squishy and inconsistent to me, which made her do things in one scene that didn't make any sense in the context of the next scene.

Deuce is still awesome. She's a skilled fighter motivated by the desire to protect those she loves. She confronts issues head on, even when they're uncomfortable to face. She's a little weird due to her totally messed up childhood, but she's amazingly rational. This all makes her one of the most fascinating characters I've read about.

A note on the new characters

I LOVE Deuce's adoptive parents and new friend with all my heart! Her friend even reminded me a little of Lee Scoresby from the His Dark Materials trilogy.

Read the author's note

There were two plot points that totally bugged me and made me think a lot less of the book, until I read the author's note. That cleared a lot of things up for me and I'm happy now. So read it.

Who is this book for?

When Enclave first came out two guys at my library came in looking for The Hunger Games, but, of course, all our copies were out. Never to let someone leave the library empty handed, I offered them Enclave and pitched it as a book about "killing lots of zombies." They grabbed it, loved it, and have been counting down the days for Outpost ever since.

But I don't think they're going to be very happy with Outpost. It's a LOT more girly with more time spent on feelings than action. The freak slaying is minimal and isn't the focal point of the plot. It happens, and it's brutally awesome, but I'm not sure the limited page time is enough to keep guy readers engaged.

Bottom line

Outpost is a solid book that I did enjoy reading, but I can't help feeling frustrated with what seems to me like a bad case of series stretching. I feel like I'm at the exact same place I left off at the end of Enclave: the freaks are getting smarter and might very possibly overwhelm our heroes.

And while this makes me pretty darn excited for book three, I shouldn't really be feeling this way again. Outpost feels like a digression, and while it was nice and I really did appreciate the exploration of Deuce's character, it's still a digression and I'm still disappointed.

I hope the third book Horde is great, but I'm a little more cautious now. 

Explanation of rating system: Star Rating Key 

Do you have any questions about Outpost that I haven't addressed? 
Feel free to ask in the comments!

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Review Comparison: Enclave by Ann Aguirre

Review Comparison: Enclave

Review Comparison is a feature I do where I pull out the pros and cons of the featured book mentioned in my review and other bloggers' reviews to provide a snapshot of opinions.

Click for my original review: 

Enclave by Ann Aguirre
4 out of 5

The following bloggers kindly allowed me to include their reviews in this feature: 

The Book Vixen: 5 out of 5
The Bookish Brunette: 5 out of 5
Housewife Blues and Chihuahua Stories: 5 out of 5
Books of Amber: 5 out of 5 
Books From a Shelf: 5 out of 5 
Books Before Bed: 5 out of 5
BookAHolics Anonymous: 5 out of 5
A Bird's Eye Review: 4 out of 4
A Tapestry of Words: 4.5 out of 5
Ruby's Reads: 5 out of 6
Rainy Day Ramblings: 4 out of 5
Taming the Bookshelf: 4 out of 5
Sniffly Kitty's Mostly Books: 3 out of 5
Stalking the Bookshelves: 3 out of 5
Black Fingernailed Reviews
Madigan Reads
Book Chewer
Blackplume

Please click on the links to read their full reviews!

~Conclusions~ 

Agreement among the reviewers was notably high on almost every point mentioned. The fast-paced, engaging plot and Deuce's fierceness were mentioned by most reviewers and almost unanimously liked. The romance between Fade and Deuce was overall well-received, but the love triangle and other romantic interest fell flat for most reviewers.

Though reviewers were mostly (but not completely) in agreement on the quality of the world building, they were divided on their preferences for the first half (more dystopian) or the second half (more post-apocalyptic). 

 
 

~General~

• "I'm really not one for the dystopian type novels. Well I think I may have found the exception" (BookAHolics Anonymous)
• "I'm not normally into the zombie scene, but I loved this!"(A Bird's Eye Review)
• "I'm not a big fan of the dystopian genre...[but Enclave was] A pleasant surprise; a book definitely worth reading" (Rainy Day Ramblings)

• "I could not physically put the book down or look away. I sat for hours spellbound by the fantastic writing and interesting story and amazing characters" (Black Fingernailed Reviews)
• "I finished the book in one sitting...I could not put it down" (Books From a Shelf)
• "Cancel any plans because you'll be staying up all night, if need be, to finish Enclave" (The Book Vixen)
• "...it pulled me in to the universe so completely, that I found myself devoting a nice solid five hours or so to solidly reading through this imaginative journey into a dark future" (Madigan Reads)
• "...be prepared to sit down until the last page is done!"(Housewife Blues and Chihuahua Stories)
• "...I totally could not put down until finished!"(Housewife Blues and Chihuahua Stories)
• "An engrossing read that will keep you flipping the pages"(A Tapestry of Words)
• "I was sucked in from page one and couldn't put it down until I had finished"(Small Review)
• "This is a gritty, heart pounding adventure that has you flipping the pages eager to see how our characters will overcome the many adversities tossed in their paths" (Rainy Day Ramblings)

• "This is one of my favorite books" (Books From a Shelf)
• "It was fantastic!" (Books Before Bed)
• "I quite frankly loved this book" (Ruby's Reads)
• "It definitely earned a spot on my top ten reads of this year...It's going to be a hard one to beat" (The Book Vixen)
• "Enclave was FANTASTIC" (The Bookish Brunette)
• "Ranks right up there in my favorite reads of 2011"(Housewife Blues and Chihuahua Stories)
• "This book is gritty, feral and wow...just amazing" (Taming the Bookshelf)
• "...just insanely good!"(Book Chewer)
• "Even characters you want to hate have deeper layers that make you think uncomfortable, philosophical thoughts" (Ruby's Reads)

• "...keeps a fast paced throughout the novel--I can't think of one dull or slow moment"(Books of Amber)
• "...the tension keeps building and building...fantastic fighting scenes...Some parts were downright scary"(Books of Amber)
• "There is plenty of action happening here!"(A Tapestry of Words)
• "Fast-paced...with intense action...The constant running and brutal fight scenes kept up a thriller like pace, but its really some of the slower, quiet moments that I loved the most" (Stalking the Bookshelves)
• "...packed with action and was very fast paced" (Book Chewer)
• "Action-packed" (Blackplume)
• "The fight scenes were awesome...the fighting and near-constant peril make for a brisk pace"(Small Review)

• "[The second part of the book is] not bad or dragging but it's not as good as the first part" (Blackplume)
• "The first half of the book grabbed my attention a little more because it was so different...however, the last few chapters started getting really interesting" (Books Before Bed)
• "This book is absolutely thrilling until three quarters of the way through, then it stumbles and falls flat" (Rainy Day Ramblings)
• "I found the beginning to be a bit frustrating, as your introduced to a lot of characters very quickly and it was difficult to remember who was who and who did what." (Stalking the Bookshelves)
• "The beginning is a bit boring...but towards the middle, the book took a wild turn to the interesting and i just could not put it down after that!"(Book Chewer)

~World Building~

• "I absolutely loved the world building in it" (BookAHolics Anonymous)
• "Ann did a marvelous job recreating a degenerated society, one that was easy to follow and understand" (Books Before Bed)
• "I adore the post-apocalyptic world that Ann Aguirre created" (Ruby's Reads)
• "The world building was a-maz-ing...dark, gritty and bleak post-apocalyptic world" (The Book Vixen)
• "...intriguing and well thought out world"(Books of Amber)
• "The combination of the dystopian society of the underground enclave and the post-apocalyptic setting of the world above in Topside worked really well, and I was glad that we get a chance to see both"(A Tapestry of Words)
• "It's unbelievable how Ann Aguirre was able to create such a world" (Book Chewer)
• "The world building is phenomenal...[Ann Aguirre] takes her time paying careful attention to detail until I felt as if I was [there]" (Rainy Day Ramblings)
• "Ann Aguirre's world building has two things going for it: 1) It makes logical sense, and 2) I can picture it perfectly" (Small Review)
• "The underground world is compelling and intriguing...dystopia at its best!" (Blackplume)

• "I'm thinking maybe the only complaint Ihad was I would have liked a little more of the underground" (BookAHolics Anonymous)
• "A lot of the world is portrayed in broad stereotypes rather than delving into intracicies...there is an oversimplification of what could be a very complex landscapes" (Sniffly Kitty's Mostly Books)

• "...had a cinematic feel to it; it read like a movie playing in my mind" (The Book Vixen)
• "...you can taste, hear, smell and feel what is going on with the characters"(Housewife Blues and Chihuahua Stories)
• "Reading Enclave was like watching a movie unfold before my eyes"(Small Review)
• "Ann Aguirre did a great job with her descriptions" (Taming the Bookshelf)

~Characters~

Deuce:

• "...terrific narrator...From the beginning, Deuce appealed to me" (Ruby's Reads)
• "I truly loved this character" (Rainy Day Ramblings)
• "I wasn't overwhelmed with over-processed thoughts...[Deuce is] a strong, fierce and loyal young woman trying to survive" (The Book Vixen)
• "I loved Deuce I thought she was a strong character, and held her own" (BookAHolics Anonymous)
• "Deuce is one serious tough cookie...She has a big heart and she's loyal and protective of those she loves" (Black Fingernailed Reviews)
• "She was just plain kickass!" (Books From a Shelf)
• "Deuce was an amazing heroine! She is fierce, brave and completely confident in her role as a Huntress...flat out breath-taking, and probably my favorite heroine of the year!"(The Bookish Brunette)
• "Deuce was a strong female lead...I felt as thought I was right there with her--her voice was so clear" (Books of Amber)
• "Deuce is a tough girl" (Book Chewer)
• "I really loved Deuce; she is one tough girl!"(A Bird's Eye Review)

• "I enjoyed reading about Deuce in particular as she faces internal struggles between being a warrior who accepts losses and the human being who wants to save those she knows" (Sniffly Kitty's Mostly Books)
• "As much as I loved her tenacity I also appreciated the side of Deuce that doubted herself and her abilities" (Rainy Day Ramblings)
• "Deuce is such an admirable heroine...I loved seeing Deuce at her more vulnerable moments. She was equally brave and yet somehow soft and emotional" (Taming the Bookshelf)
• "What made me keep turning the page?...Watching Deuce change her thoughts about what makes a person strong or weak"(A Bird's Eye Review)
• "She's tough but has a soft spot, one she eventually embraces" (Books Before Bed)
• "...an appealing heroine to root for--one who is physically and mentally tough-as-nails...seeing her grow emotionally...was fabulous"(A Tapestry of Words)
• "I thought Deuce's reaction...was portrayed very accurately"(A Tapestry of Words)

• "I didn't find Deuce the easiest character to relate to...she tends to justify why horrible things have happen, instead of properly dealing with how she feels about them. I do admire the fighter in her though..." (Stalking the Bookshelves)
• "I can't say I exactly like Deuce or relate to her, but i do find her intriguing to read about"(Small Review)

~Romance~

• "Boy, what I would do for [Fade]" (BookAHolics Anonymous)
• "...together [Fade and Deuce] are just about the strongest team you'll ever come across" (Black Fingernailed Reviews)

• "...three cheers for a romance that grows rather than appears out of nowhere" (Sniffly Kitty's Mostly Books)
• "I definitely enjoyed the progression of the relationship between them, as they start out wary of each other, and learn to trust one another as hunting partners before anything romantic happens"(A Tapestry of Words)
• "I also really, really, really want more development between Fade and Deuce [in the sequel]" (Books Before Bed)
• "[Fade is] a little more than your typical mysterious love interest. There are so many layers there to be peeled back and explored, i can't wait to find out more about him"(Books of Amber)
• "The romance is there, but for now it's just kindling"(Book Chewer)
• "There was just enough romance to make me happy"(A Bird's Eye Review)
• "I thoroughly enjoyed the development of the bond between Deuce and Fade" (Rainy Day Ramblings)

• "There is a slight love traingle, but I am Team Fade 1000%...I'm smitten with Fade" (Taming the Bookshelf)
• "[regarding the second love interest]...the raping part was over the top. There could have been a better way to make him a bad guy" (BookAHolics Anonymous)
• "...although romance isn't a big factor in Enclave, there is a bit of a love triangle" (The Book Vixen)
• "The only minor flaw in this novel is the damn love traingle! I really didn't like where that took the book. Especially as one half of the triangle was...Well, let's just say he wasn't the nicest person" (Books of Amber)
• "I was loving the romance during the first half of the book. It's a slow burn based on mutual admiration with not a speck of insta-love in sight...But then the author totally KILLED it in the second half! The stupid love triangle rears its head..." (Small Review)
• "MAJOR *SWOON* for Fade...but when Stalker kisses Deuce in the woods...I almost, ALMOST forgot Fade. It was smokin' hot" (The Bookish Brunette)

~Ending~

• "The ending is well done because you aren't left with some huge jaw-dropping cliff-hanger, but rather the door is kept open for a sequel" (Stalking the Bookshelves)
• "The ending of Enclave left me itching for more" (Ruby's Reads)
• "Pretty much a cliffhanger...The plot is actually pretty sparse and unfinished in this installment, but it does set up some interesting questions"(Small Review)
• "...maintains an internal story arc...there is enough resolution to leave the reader feeling satisfied, but still penty more questions to be explored in sequels"(A Tapestry of Words)
• "There is no climax or resolution just an abrupt end. I felt cheated" (Rainy Day Ramblings)

• "I can't wait to read more of the journey" (BookAHolics Anonymous)
• "...I'm now looking forward to the sequel" (Madigan Reads)
• "I'm very interested to see where the story is headed" (Stalking the Bookshelves)
• "I cannot wait for the second book in the Razorland series!" (Taming the Bookshelf)
• "I CAN'T WAIT FOR THE NEXT ONE!" (Books Before Bed)
• "I was also happy to hear that there will be a sequel to this book"(Book Chewer)
• "I will be the first in line to read the next of this series!"(A Bird's Eye Review)
• "I'm totally on board for more zombie-killing action when Outpost is released in 2012"(Small Review)

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Book Review: Enclave by Ann Aguirre

Enclave by Ann Aguirre

Release Date: April 12, 2011

Publisher: Feiwel & Friends

Pages: 259

Received: Library

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Goodreads Page

Summary

From Goodreads:

In Deuce’s world, people earn the right to a name only if they survive their first fifteen years. By that point, each unnamed ‘brat’ has trained into one of three groups–Breeders, Builders, or Hunters, identifiable by the number of scars they bear on their arms. Deuce has wanted to be a Huntress for as long as she can remember.

As a Huntress, her purpose is clear—to brave the dangerous tunnels outside the enclave and bring back meat to feed the group while evading ferocious monsters known as Freaks. She’s worked toward this goal her whole life, and nothing’s going to stop her, not even a beautiful, brooding Hunter named Fade. When the mysterious boy becomes her partner, Deuce’s troubles are just beginning.

Down below, deviation from the rules is punished swiftly and harshly, and Fade doesn’t like following orders. At first she thinks he’s crazy, but as death stalks their sanctuary, and it becomes clear the elders don’t always know best, Deuce wonders if Fade might be telling the truth. Her partner confuses her; she’s never known a boy like him before, as prone to touching her gently as using his knives with feral grace.

As Deuce’s perception shifts, so does the balance in the constant battle for survival. The mindless Freaks, once considered a threat only due to their sheer numbers, show signs of cunning and strategy… but the elders refuse to heed any warnings. Despite imminent disaster, the enclave puts their faith in strictures and sacrifice instead. No matter how she tries, Deuce cannot stem the dark tide that carries her far from the only world she’s ever known.

Review

I can't write this review. Really, I've tried three times already and I just keep coming up with these sprawling 20 page essays of crap. So I'm breaking things down into categories.

The cover

It's sparkly. I wasn't expecting that. No, this probably isn't all that important outside of my sparkle-obsessed head.

World building

YES FINALLY THANK YOU! Ann Aguirre's world building has two things going for it: 1) It makes logical sense, and 2) I can picture it perfectly. Reading Enclave was like watching a movie unfold before my eyes. Her world is immersive, it's scary, it's oppressive, it's bleak, and it actually makes sense! 

Characters

They make sense, too! I can't say I exactly like Deuce or relate to her, but I do find her intriguing to read about. I loved seeing the world through her first person narration. Enclave's society is like a really screwed up psych experiment (a la Lord of the Flies) with a bunch of malnourished kids calling all the shots. I'm horrified, but I'm totally fascinated. 10000000 points to Ann Aguirre for making her characters and society develop in a way that is actually consistent with human psychology (something a few recent dystopian authors have failed to do).

The dystopian awakening

Deuce of course realizes her dystopian world isn't as full of win as she had originally thought. In YA dystopians this great epiphany usually comes from the insta-love guy or the quirky best friend. Not here! Yay! More points to Ann! Deuce doesn't really do a 180 in her thinking. She was always very logical, and so when she gets new information about her world, she logically adjusts her conclusions. Hey authors, see how much better that is than relying on quirky throwaway best friend?

Romance

I was loving the romance during the first half of the book. It's a slow burn based on mutual admiration with not a speck of insta-love in sight. Fade is badass, mysterious, and he so nails the "sexy but innocuous touch." But then the author totally KILLED it in the second half! The stupid love triangle rears its head and Fade becomes a complete weenie. Seriously, he becomes that dog that pisses all over itself while rolling onto its back. What's up with THAT? As if that wasn't bad enough, the other guy in the triangle is an ugly scarred up sadistic RAPIST. He's vile in every way. ARE YOU KIDDING ME?? How in the world am I supposed to get on board with that?!

Violence

Heck yeah! Does the idea of post-apocalyptic badass zombie killing sound fun to you? Then you're going to LOVE it in Enclave. Deuce and Fade are both hunters and so they spend most of the book killing zombies (or, in this book, Freaks). The fight scenes were so awesome in that heart-pounding, makes-me-wish-I-could-hit-things-without-hurting-myself kind of way. THIS is what kept my eyes glued to the pages and is the reason I cannot wait for the sequel.

Plot

What? Oh, there's a plot? I'm sorry, I was so absorbed by the fight scenes that I forgot we're actually supposed to be doing something here. So, ok, the plot is actually pretty sparse and unfinished in this installment, but it does set up some interesting questions. If you're cool with that wandering type of plot like in Cormac McCarthy's The Road or Richard Matheson's I am Legend, then I think you'll be just fine with the plot of Enclave. It's even got a bit of a quest-y feel to it.

The fighting and near-constant peril make for a brisk pace that keeps the book from dragging. Short chapters help, too. I was sucked in from page one and couldn't put it down until I had finished (like, a day and a half later...ok, I had to sleep at some point). There were a few things I thought were flat out stupid and out of place (those little creatures, the "dream"), but they were minor and I kind of just ignore them.

Ending

Pretty much a cliffhanger. If I cared about a certain character who is left in peril with their fate unknown then I'd probably be ripping my hair out. As it is, I couldn't care less about that character, so I'm fine with the ending. Things leave off on a turning point, so it's a good place to stop, but this is very much only part one of a story (no story arcs are resolved). I'm totally on board for more zombie-killing action when Outpost is released in 2012.

Explanation of rating system: Star Rating Key 

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Feel free to ask in the comments!

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Waiting on Wednesday (5)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine where we all feature upcoming books we're eagerly anticipating. 

The cute WoW button comes from Bewitched Bookworms.

Enclave (Razorland #1), by Ann Aguirre
Release Date: April 12, 2011
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Pages: 272

(Above publication information from Goodreads)
Author's Page 
Amazon Page
Goodreads Page

From Goodreads:

WELCOME TO THE APOCALYPSE

In Deuce's world, people earn the right to a name only if they survive their first fifteen years. By that point, each unnamed 'brat' has trained into one of three groups-Breeders, Builders, or Hunters, identifiable by the number of scars they bear on their arms.

Deuce has wanted to be a Huntress for as long as she can remember. As a Huntress, her purpose is clear--to brave the dangerous tunnels outside the enclave and bring back meat to feed the group while evading ferocious monsters known as Freaks. She's worked toward this goal her whole life, and nothing's going to stop her, not even a beautiful, brooding Hunter named Fade.

When the mysterious boy becomes her partner, Deuce's troubles are just beginning. Down below, deviation from the rules is punished swiftly and harshly, and Fade doesn't like following orders. At first she thinks he's crazy, but as death stalks their sanctuary, and it becomes clear the elders don't always know best, Deuce wonders if Fade might be telling the truth.

Her partner confuses her; she's never known a boy like him before, as prone to touching her gently as using his knives with feral grace. As Deuce's perception shifts, so does the balance in the constant battle for survival. The mindless Freaks, once considered a threat only due to their sheer numbers, show signs of cunning and strategy... but the elders refuse to heed any warnings. Despite imminent disaster, the enclave puts their faith in strictures and sacrifice instead. No matter how she tries, Deuce cannot stem the dark tide that carries her far from the only world she's ever known.

I'm all for a good dystopian, especially when we get kick-butt characters with impressive fighting skills. I much prefer this type of female dystopian character to the one that takes the entire story to come to her senses. I want a girl with guts ready to kick butt and chew bubblegum, and I want her to be all out of bubblegum.

Honestly, though, a big draw for me is Fade. "As prone to touching her gently as using his knives with feral grace"? Ok, I'm so there. That's really all I needed to read. I don't like it when we only get one strong character. Either the guy is strong and the girl is a damsel or the girl is awesome and the guy is a weenie. Enclave sounds like both leads will be more than able to hold their own. Yay!

Strange Fate (Night World #10), by L. J. Smith
Release Date: July 16, 2011
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Pages:528

(Above publication information from Goodreads)
Author's Page
Goodreads Page

From Goodreads:

Vampires, werewolves, witches, shapeshifters -- they live among uswithout our knowledge. Night World is their secret society, a secret society with very strict rules. And falling in love breaks all the laws of the Night World.

Sarah Strange's life was what you might call ordinary. Then her mother died.

Now Sarah has visions -- visions of a place where dragons darken the sky and a young girl is fighting to survive.

When Sarah confides in her best friends, Mal and Kierlan, about the devastation in her dreams, she discovers that her friends are not what they seem. They are part of the Night World -- and they believe Sarah has a special role in their world. And if Sarah's visions are any indication of the impending danger and destruction, there is no time to lose...

Forget Vampire Diaries (yes, I love the show, but no, I don't love all the books). Night World is where it's at. Go back in time all the way to the mid to late 1990s when this series was first published and I actually was a YA myself. This was one of the first paranormal romance series I ever read and I fell in love. In-freaking-love. I was obsessed. I love it so much I even included the series in my Spotlight post Books to Bring on a Deserted Island.

At the time, we were just getting into this whole newfangled internet thingy and the idea of connecting with fellow readers or buying books online only existed in our fantasies (actually, there was this one Night World site that looks almost the same now as it did back then. I love it!). If you wanted a book back then, it had better be in your local library or your local bookstores.

Only some L. J. Smith books were in my library and none were in my new book stores. I trolled every used book store within an hour radius of my home and eventually tracked down used copies of almost all of L. J. Smith's books. Every time I found one it was like I just discovered buried treasure, furtive looks around myself and frantic clutching of the book to my chest included. It was gold, I tell you, GOLD.

I was so into this series, but, alas, tragedy struck and Ms. Smith took a decade long hiatus from writing. Leaving me hanging with books 1-9 published and nothing but a cover (look to the right), a blurb, and nine freaking books of building up to a world shattering climax with the coming of the millennium to hold me over.

I'm ok, really, I swear. I actually found a really awesome fan fiction book 10 replacement (part I, part II) to give me closure until the real deal came along. Which, it hasn't yet. It was supposed to come in 2010 but was pushed off. So, I'm still waiting. And I'll keep waiting because gosh darnnit I need my fix of sexy paranormal guys and kick butt paranormal chicks. Plus, the world might be ending with the millennium....or not.
 
Previous books I've been waiting for.

While you're waiting for all of these great upcoming books, you can check out my review posted today for:

The Adoration of Jenna Fox, by Mary E. Pearson

You can also come check out my event, Busting the Newbie Blues, open to both new and established bloggers! We're having a ton of fun and would love it if you joined in!

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