Tuesday, September 30, 2014

REVIEW: True Calling by Siobhan Davis



True Calling
Planet Novo, nestled in space twelve hundred miles above the surface of the Earth, is the new home of 17 year old Cadet Ariana Skyee. Confused by the government-sanctioned memory erase and distressed at her impending forced marriage and motherhood, Ariana’s plans for the future are thrown into complete disarray.

As the traumatic events within her family life enfold, Ariana grows increasingly alarmed at the authorities apparent pre-occupation with her and feels progressively more isolated and alone.


Her growing feelings for fellow Cadet Cal Remus intensify as the recently announced pageant, ‘The Calling’, gets underway. Struggling to comprehend the continuous, inexplicable dreams of the mysterious Zane, discovering the past helps shape her future, with devastating personal consequences.






I received an ecopy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.



MY THOUGHTS
What really drew me into this book was, yes, I admit it, the cover. I have an attraction to covers featuring space, and while this book was not exactly what I was expecting, I was not disappointed!

This book takes place on Planet Novo, which is a man-made planet in the atmosphere of Earth to protect people from the dangers currently going on Earth. Not everyone is on Earth, though, only the smartest and the healthiest got to live on Novo. Ari's family is among them and life is just fine, except for these strange, realistic dreams she has of a person named Zane, whom she has never met. Then, the Novo government places The Calling, in which all 17 year olds will basically be in forced marriages, in order to increase the low population.

At first, I was doubtful about this book, as I felt like it was beginning to sound very similar to Matched. Then, as the book went on, I begin to ignore the similarities and began to really enjoy this book. What really made it was the romance! I'm usually annoyed by the romance in books,  but I adored this one! Cal and Ari are just perfect for one another and you can tell that they love each other! Sure, the romance was a bit cheesy, but what's romance without some cheesiness?

I was fully expecting this book to be all about The Calling, but that's only the tip of the iceberg. There actually ended up being a Part II (there's more than 2 parts by the way) which is from Zane's perspective, yes, the same Zane that Ari has dreams about. Zane is on Earth, where things are not the best, and is in a resistance that is against both the government on Earth and Novo. At first, I wasn't really into Zane's perspective, I was really interesting in what was going on with Ari, but I quickly grew into his perspective. Zane's perspective gave an insight as to what the government was doing, and what was going on in general. There are so many things that we found out thanks to his perspective! There was speak of rebellion in Ari's perspective, but it wasn't until Zane's perspective that we get to see that this book is about so much more than The Calling.

Now, onto the sad part: What did I not like? I love this book and I had hardly any problems with it, but, I hate saying this, I did have a few. One problem is that I was confused by how Ari and her family seem to have some memories of Earth, when those memories were supposedly erased. For example: Ari mentions forests where she grew up. There is also mention of an uncle that committed suicide on Earth, but how do they know these things? My other issue is the psychic abilities. I felt like it wasn't explained enough as to why people have them. And that's it. Those are my only problems, and they're really minor and pretty easy to ignore.

IN CONCLUSION
This is a really great dystopian that took me by surprise! Sure, it has similar ideas to other books, at points, but this book has so many new, unique ideas as well! This book is exciting, with a great collection of characters, and I had a very hard time putting it down! I definitely recommend it to sci-fi and dystopian fans!
Am I going to continue the series! Yes! Especially after the way this book ended!

I hereby give this book
4 Wheels!
Meaning: It was amazing!

RECENT COVER REVEALS: September 2014 Edition

Here are this month's cover reveals:

Lion Heart (Scarlet #3)
Lion Heart (Scarlet, #3)  by A.C. Gaughen
I like this cover, mostly because I adore this series, but the swirls are a bit overwhelming.

I Heart Robot
I Heart Robot by Suzanne van Rooyen
This is such an adorable cover!

All Fall Down (Embassy Row #1)
All Fall Down (Embassy Row #1) by Ally Carter
Not bad, but it oddly looks like a dystopian, I don't know why.


Crash (The Game #3)
Crash (The Game #3) by Eve Silver
I like this cover, but it bothers me that it's not separated in four parts like the earlier covers, although I do know why.

Breaking the Rules (Pushing the Limits, #1.5)
Breaking the Rules (Pushing the Limits, #3.5) by Katie McGarry
Matches the other covers, but I don't really like these kissy covers.
Link to Pushing the Limits (book 1)
Link to Crossing the Line (book 1.1)
Link to Breaking the Rules
Link to Dare You To (book 2)
Link to Crash into You (book 3)
Link to Take Me On (book 4)


Sweet 
Sweet by Emmy Laybourne
I really like this cover, but that odd red stream on the T looks like a snake.
Link to Sweet

Deceptive (Illusive #2)
Deceptive (Illusive, #2) by Emily Lloyd-Jones
I LOVE THIS! I like the colors and the text! I miss the comic vibe of the previous cover, but I still love this!
Link to Illusive (book 1)
Link to Deceptive

Reign (An Unfortunate Fairy Tale #4)
Reign (An Unfortunate Fairy Tale, #4) by Chanda Hahn
Not the biggest fan, but it's probably one of the better ones in the series. And I, honestly, just happy that this book is coming out!
Link to Unenchanted (book 1)
Link to Fairest (book 2)
Link to Fable (book 3)
Link to Reign

The Witch Hunter
The Witch Hunter by Virginia Boecker
Simple, but I really like this cover.
Link to The Witch Hunter

Nil Unlocked (Nil #2) 
Unlocked (Nil #2) by Lynne Matson
Not as great as the first book's cover, but I still like it.
Link to Nil (book 1)
Link to Nil Unlocked

We Can Work It Out (The Lonely Hearts Club #2) 
We Can Work It Out (The Lonely Hearts Club #2) by Elizabeth Eulberg
A Hard Day's Night (The Lonely Hearts Club, #1.1) 
A Hard Days Night by Elizabeth Eulberg
Two of Us (The Lonely Hearts Club #1.2) 
Two of Us by Elizabeth Eulberg
From Me to You (The Lonely Hearts Club #1.3)
From Me to You  by Elizabeth Eulberg
These covers are just too cheesy for me.
Link to The Lonely Hearts Club (book 1)
Link to A Hard Day's Night 
Link to Two of Us
Link to From Me to You
Link to We Can Work it Out

What You Left Behind 
What You Left Behind by Jessica Verdi
The text looks happy, but the picture and the title doesn't, so what's going on here.
Link to What You Left Behind

Charisma
Charisma by Jeanne Ryan
It's cool and matches the synopsis, but what's up with the bunny.
Link to Charisma

Immaculate
Immaculate by Katelyn Detweiler
I love the text and the photography in this cover is great!
Link to Immaculate

The Queen of Bright and Shiny Things 
The Queen of Bright and Shiny Things by Ann Aguirre
I like this cover, but the girl looks so bored in these photos!
Link to The Queen of Bright and Shiny Things


Devoted 
Devoted by Jennifer Mathieu
It's a pretty cover, but it really bothers me how fuzzy her face is.
Link to Devoted


This Is Your Afterlife
This Is Your Afterlife by Vanessa Barneveld
Meh. It's okay, but it just doesn't catch my attention. I like the font though.
Link to This is Your Afterlife

Every Last Word 
Every Last Word by Tamara Ireland Stone
It is a bit boring, but the simpleness oddly works.
Link to Every Last Word


The Devil You Know 
The Devil You Know by Trish Doller
Not the biggest fan, but I do like how the text is placed along with the reflection.
Link to The Devil You Know

The Fill-In Boyfriend
The Fill-In Boyfriend
I don't why I don't like this one. It's okay, but it's not as good as Kasie's other books' covers. Though, it does look like a Kasie West book.
Link to The Fill-in Boyfriend



Twisted Fate
Twisted Fate by Norah Olson
*sighs* I might've liked this more if I didn't see the ARC copy cover on TeaTime.
That was one beautiful cover. This one? It doesn't compare.
Link to Twisted Fate

Salt & Stone (Fire & Flood #2)
Salt & Stone (Fire & Flood, #2) by Victoria Scott
I LOVE THIS!
It worries me that it says "New cover to come".
Link to Fire & Flood (book 1)
Link to Salt & Stone

Chantress Fury (Chantress #3
Chantress Fury (Chantress #3) by Amy Butler Greenfield
Pretty simple. I oddly like these new redesigns for this series.
Link to Chantress (book 1)
Link to Chantress Alchemy (book 2)
Link to Chantress Fury (book 3)

Embers
Embers by Karen Ann Hopkins
I'm in-between on this one. I think the fiery wings are really really cool, but I also think they look a bit cheesy? I don't know, it might be how stylized they are. But overall, cool cover.
Link to Embers

Fragile Reign (Mortal Enchantment #2
Fragile Reign (Mortal Enchantment #2) by Stacey O’Neale
I really like the covers in this series, but is it just me, or does that guy look like a Jonas brother?
Link to Mortal Enchantment (book 1)
Link to Fragile Reign

Miss Mayhem (Rebel Belle #2)
Miss Mayhem (Rebel Belle, #2) by Rachel Hawkins
It's okay. My main issue is that it took me awhile to realize that that is a trophy.
Link to Rebel Belle (book 1)
Link to Miss Mayhem

Shadow Study (Study #4
Shadow Study (Study #4) by Maria V. Snyder
Not a fan. Not only does this not look like the other covers (but I'm unsure if this is a continuation or a spin-off), but it's just odd. I don't like the font, the girl's make-up makes it look as if she has a black-eye, one of her eyes looks closes, I have no idea what's going on with her cloak, it's just an odd cover.
Link to Poison Study (book 1)
Link to Magic Study (book 2)
Link to Fire Study (book 3)
Link to Shadow Study


Breaking Sky
Breaking Sky by Cori McCarthy
Meh. This is not really a new idea in book covers.
Link to Breaking Sky

All the Rage
All the Rage by Courtney Summers
The blurriness bothers me, but it does work well for the tone of the book.
Link to All the Rage

Rebellion (Elysium Chronicles #3
Rebellion (Elysium Chronicles #3) by J.A. Souders
Love the covers in this series! I love the font and all the colors! My only issue is that she looks a bit bored.
Link to Renegade (book 1)
Link to Revelations (book 2)
Link to Rebellion


The Vanishing Throne(The Falconer #2)
The Vanishing Throne(The Falconer #2) by Elizabeth May
Not a fan of the font, but she looks so badass! I love it! Now I have to wait for the U.S. cover...
Link to The Falconer (book 1)
Link to The Vanishing Throne

The Winner's Crime (The Winner's Trilogy #2
The Winner's Crime (The Winner's Curse #2) by Marie Rutkoski
I love the blue of the dress! My only issue is that the text is formatted differently than the first book!
Link to The Winner's Curse (book 1)
Link to The Winner's Crime


Gone Too Far 
Gone Too Far by Natalie D. Richards
She's standing a bit awkwardly, but other than that, it's a nice cover. And I like how it's similar to the author's previous book.
Link to Gone Too Far



REDESIGNS
Vitro (Corpus #2)
Vitro by Jessica Khoury- REDESIGN
Meh. It's pretty, but it doesn't have a sci-fi feel to me.

This Song Will Save Your Life
This Song Will Save Your Life
I LOVE the retro feel about this! And it matches the book perfectly!
Link to This Song Will Save Your Life

Chantress (Chantress #1)
Chantress (Chantress #1) by Amy Butler Greenfield REDESIGN
Chantress Academy (Chantress #2
Chantress Academy (Chantress #2) by Amy Butler Greenfield  REDESIGN
I do love these covers. They're beautiful and have a historical feel. Not the biggest fan of the second one, but they're still great!
Link to Chantress (book 1)
Link to Chantress Alchemy (book 2)
Link to Chantress Fury (book 3)


All Our Yesterdays
All Our Yesterdays by Cristin Terrill (REDESIGN)
It's okay, but it doesn't say time travel to me. I also have an undying love for the original cover.
Link to All Our Yesterdays

The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks
The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart  (REDESIGN)
I have no idea if it follows the book, but it's much better than the original cover.
Link to The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau Banks


Which cover is your favorite?

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Books That Were Hard For Me To Read

Hosted each week by The Broke and the Bookish, it's a meme for listing the top ten for everything bookish.

There are different meanings to a book being hard to read. Sometimes it's the subject, the writing, the characters, or the story. Which means that some books I had a hard time with changed me, others I loath completely.
P.S. The covers take you to Goodreads!


This book shows a horrible aspect of history that I had no knowledge about until this book. This is an absolutely heartbreaking book that shows how cruel human beings can be to other human beings. It's an amazing book, but it's very hard to read because of the subject.
5 Stars

This book also revolves around a tough subject. This book is about a girl who's in am abusive relationship and it is not a happy book. Again, the subject matter makes it hard to read.
5 Stars

This book was slow going at first, but it's the ending that I'm talking about. It's very hard to wrap your mind around the ending and it was very hard for me to accept it.
4 Stars

I had a hard time with this one because the first of the book just frustrated me. The first half has sex, drugs, cursing, and alcohol, all things that turn me away from a book when there's an excessive amount (which there was in this book). There is a halfway point where I began to see the purpose of this book, though.
3.5 Stars

Please don't hate me, but this book bored me. All it was was flashback after flashback, which confused me and made me bored as to where this book was going. I was getting sleepy and I just had difficulty getting through it.
2 Stars

Ick. This book is basically about a horny teenage guy who just happened to have cancer. The entire book was about the main character trying to have sex with this girl who's in the same hospital as him. That's the plot. This book was very hard to read just because I really hated so many things about it (especially the subject and the main character).
1 Star

My main issue with this book was that it was another Twilight. I was very annoyed all through out the book and the fact that I wasn't enjoying it made it hard for me to complete it (I never give up on a book).
1 Star

I read this a really long time ago, but I remember how I had such a hard time reading this book. The writing was horrible, with choppy sentences, and I had no clue what was going on 75% of the time!
1 Star

I had a hard time with this book not because of the subject matter, but because I had a hard time understanding what exactly was going on. There was so much war and pilot lingo that I was really confused at some points.
4 Stars

This was not a bad book, but it was really really sloooooooowwwwww. I had such a hard time getting through it because my brain just wanted me to go to sleep. 
2 Stars

What books were hard for you to read?