arcs | Ad Librum Aeternam

*I received a free ARC in exchange for an honest review. No compensation has been given and I write this book review willingly. A big thanks to Balzer + Bray, Harper Collins Canada, and Edelweiss+!*

Introduction

As for an introduction, I wanted to start in a very mature and serious way: WHERE WAS THIS BOOK WHEN I WAS A TEENAGER?! IT’S EXACTLY WHAT I WISHED FOR ALL THIS TIME! I NEEDED IT!

Now that this main thought and raw emotions have been made clear, how about we explore further together the reasons why I feel this way towards this book?

Blurb

This story, told in second-person point of view, follows Bisou Martel. She lives with her grandmother, whom she calls Mémé, and dates a wonderful boyfriend, James. But on homecoming night, Bisou finds herself fighting a wolf… but instead of a wolf in sheep’s clothing, she finds a wolf in men’s clothing. She will learn truths about her heritage, her loved ones, and make strong friendships all while navigating her love life, her womanhood. All for the sake of living life on her own terms, and vanquishing wolves that hide in plain sight.

Oh, what courage you have.

All the better to end you with.

The Positive Sides

I've been yearning for such a book for so many years! WHERE WAS IT WHEN I WAS A TEENAGER?! So I would know I wasn't alone with such a dark imagination… Love, love it! I kept reading and reading and wanting to find out and pushing away my much-needed sleep. Do I regret it? Not a drop!

Thank you LOADS for this ARC. It's my new baby. YIS! Now, why is it my new baby?

First of all, it is MARVELLOUS. It's so rich in terms of vocabulary, darkness and raw emotions! I loved the ongoing theme of blood, pretty well done and ominous. The characters are also something I appreciated. Particularly the main character, Bisou—I really love the depth and intensity of her worries, fears, and thoughts, as well as the honesty and truth of her character. Plus, I love that she calls her grandmother “Mémé” instead of “Mami”. Just like mine. And her strong but kind and open-minded and loving description of Mémé reminds me so much of my own! I felt for this character right away. Sue me. Bisou’s female friends really made me smile and feel warm inside; all that camaraderie, all that friendship! Lastly, James, Bisou’s boyfriend, is so kind, gentle, and understanding. He’s precious!

As for the writing, can I say fabulous? The second-person POV is so refreshing and unique. It also draws you into the dark easier such as when she or you are assaulted in the woods. It is gripping and very well done. It made me realize I would love more novels like this. Moreover, the descriptions are enough, precise, and very poignant. You get to know everything you have to and it touches you. Love this style. It is not crowded, just beautifully done. The way you remember things is awesome, artistic, and gripping, too. The flashbacks are artfully brought about and done. As well as all the intense emotions we feel with Bisou and her situations. I feel them so deep in my heart. And dun dun dun… What an amazing surprise! We get the awesome Mémé’s POV, too. I was thrilled and read it in one go! Since this is a retelling of “Little Red Riding Hood”, should I say “I devoured it”?

I adore how dark and mature this book is. It even tackles womanly periods, assault, sex, and STDs. And I loved the raw fight where Bisou didn’t have time to look good and her dress fell off her. So rarely done and so very realistic. Something that struck me with great positivity is the girl’s periods. The deal of periods in YA always amazes me because it is unfortunately so rarely tackled. But it is a reality for girls, one new they must learn to navigate. This book made me feel content about this aspect of womanhood. Sexuality is present, too, and while sex makes me personally unease, I think it’s a good move to insert it in a YA book (with such respect, too!) Indeed, there’s even a full sex scene with proper words used and respect. Then, Bisou admits to her grandmother she had sex with her boyfriend, James, and Mémé informs Bisou about how she can decide for her own body. It’s awesome and great, an awesome model for young women and teenagers who wonder about sex and/or none ever told them about respect of their own body and so on. It was brilliantly tackled! I would recommend it to all teenagers (yes, boys, too) so they can get a better understanding of what having sex/making love means. Now, let’s talk about how the gore and dark issues, topics, and descriptions are perfect! Oh, and don’t forget this story is highly feminist <3!

Here’s my favourite quote (it hit me hard with truth): “It’s that we need men to stop becoming wolves.” (p. 243, hardcover)

The Negative Sides

Sorry, none. Next?

In Conclusion

Honestly? I loved it so much I purchased my own hardcover copy (see above picture) because I wanted it on my favourite collection shelf, and it’s never leaving this house. Ever.

This is the book I yearned and waited for when I was young (and even today). I needed to read something dark, feminist and thrilling for a young fantasy readership. Red Hood bumped up in my list of all-time favourites to the top with Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Finally, Arnold wrote the book little me needed. That I still need. It will stay with me always, and I hope it can fulfill a young girl’s (or boy’s) desires, unfortunately considered weird and different. We’re not alone.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart, Miss Arnold! You reached out to a deep part of me and made me feel understood. I will never cease coming back to Red Hood.

For all these reasons, I give Red Hood a rating of 6 out of 5 stars. What? I can’t go above 5 stars? Just watch me! Okay, fine, but I still give it the highest rating possible, good? Perfect!

If you want to learn more about the author, you can visit her Web site, you can also follow her on Twitter, her Amazon author page and Goodreads. You can also add Red Hood to your bookshelves on Goodreads and LibraryThing.

Go Ahead, You’re Home: A Review

Book Reviews July 29, 2019 Leave a comment

Genre: Memoir, Travel, Non-Fiction

Pages: 173
ISBN: 978-0997572704
Format: Paperback, eBook (Kindle)
Publication date: May 16th, 2016
Publisher: Your Book Angel
Type: Memoir

*Thanks to BookTasters (Twitter: @BookTasters and Web site) and Miss Tirzah Libert for giving me a free ecopy of Go Ahead, You're Home in exchange for a review given on a voluntary basis. I received no compensation.*

I chose Go Ahead, You're Home because the blurb made me dream of travelling in someone else's shoes and see their life, in two vastly different countries to mine. As a polyglot and big enthusiast of cultures and travelling, this intrigued me. Also, I wanted to see what pushed her to move to the Netherlands and what she wants to accomplish.

The Positive Points:

I'll go ahead (see what I did there?) and say that the best part about this book is simply the heart she puts into telling us all about her life. It's beautiful, humbling, and inspiring, too. I rather enjoyed this side and felt somehow touched that she'd let me (and others) see her thoughts and life so closely. It was quite interesting to experience a different POV since she sounds "wilder" than I am (no offence here, I think it's fun to see) and it was amusing and eye-opening to be able to read about a different life somewhere else in the world. Here, it was in the Caribbeans. It was poignant and immersive; it was as if I could see through her very eyes. Loved it!

Moreover, the resilience and strength of this woman along with the culture and customs of her homeland are great to see! They're also admirable in their own rights.

The Negative Points:

These were very hard to order as I think they're are major points, but here goes:

The ideas and subjects are all jumbled together! It's like head-hopping (where an author switches from one character to another continuously), but with ideas! She's talking of her faith, then it brusquely switches to her aunt with no real link between the two. And it goes on and on like this. It's pretty confusing and unpleasant. There's so much to tell, I know, but a more structured approach would make this book better!

The amount of "faith" and "religion" talks in this book are annoying… I understand it's part of that part, but it's just too much for other readers who might not be like her (*GASPS*). I didn't take any points for this though since that's how she is. But there's a bit too much of it to be easily readable by others and NOT put down with a roll of our eyes or an annoyed sigh.

Lastly, the author tells us all about her actions, the events, the situations, and it's quite interesting, I must admit! I could get lost in it easily. But there is ONE major wrong point: she tells us about the actions, but not enough about her emotions. I want to know how she felt! How did finding a secretary job made her feel? How about that difficult (I assume) miscarriage? In memoirs, we're looking for the "travel" part, true, but I want the emotions, I want to feel, to connect. I don't just want to watch over her shoulder. It's a good book, but this point is severely lacking.

In Conclusion:

While it was a good insight into Miss Libert's life and allowed me to taste a different culture and experience another's life, I think it was way too topic-hopping, confusing and not detailed enough for me to really be hooked to this book. So, I give Go Ahead, You're Home a rating of 3.5 out of 5. I would recommend it to other travel memoirs and memoirs enthusiasts.

If you want to learn more about Tirzah Libert, visit her Web site, Twitter account, and Facebook page. You can also add the book to your Goodreads and LibraryThing TBR list(s).

The Initiation: A Book Review

Book Reviews June 30, 2019 Leave a comment

by Chris Babu

Genre: YA,Sci-Fi, Post-Apocalyptic, Dystopian

Pages: 320
ISBN: 978-1682615935
Format: Hardcover, Paperback, eBook (Kindle & Kobo)
Publication date: February 27th, 2018
Publisher: Permuted Press
Type: Novel (1st in a trilogy)

A special thanks to Chris Babu and Permuted Press for providing me with an eCopy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

The Blurb:

Everyone is equal. But no one is safe.

In a ruined world, Manhattan is now New America, a walled-in society based on equality. But the perfect facade hides a dark truth.

A timid math geek, sixteen-year-old Drayden watches his life crumble when his beloved mother is exiled. The mystery of her banishment leads him to a sinister secret: New America is in trouble, and every one of its citizens is in jeopardy.

With time running out, he enters the Initiation. It’s a test within the empty subway tunnels—a perilous journey of puzzles and deadly physical trials. Winners join the ruling Bureau and move to its safe haven. But failure means death. Can Drayden conquer the Initiation, or is salvation out of his grasp?

Introduction:

I was offered the opportunity to review the first two books in Chris Babu’s dystopian trilogy by Permuted Press. I jumped on it because, as you lads and lasses know, I’m a big lover of dystopian. The blurb appealed to me. It seemed to have anything I love: logic, realism, courage, quests, trials, a dystopian setting… and I could go on! So, here’s my review of the first book, The Initiation. Enjoy!

Thank you so much for this pleasant opportunity, Chris Babu and Permuted Press!

The Positive Sides:

There are many things I liked and even loved about this book so hold tight. The book starts with a heartbreaking moment, Drayden’s mother’s exile from the Dorms into the wilderness that New York has become. This moment is crucial in establishing the stakes, the plot, and the characters. It was also pretty sad and I loved it! It didn’t wait and wait… until something happened. No, it did right upon opening the book! Speaking of writing, Babu, the author, knows how the describe the emotions and events in poignant manner. Kudos to him! I often found myself affected emotionally, so that’s a very good thing. I kept hoping and feeling torn with the protagonist.

Okay, hang on even tighter here because I have A LOT to say about the protagonist, Drayden. Here goes:

Drayden is LOVELY. He’s kind, considerate, affectionate, AND very clever. I don’t know how someone could even dislike him. He’s mine, okay? Mine! His origins makes me so happy: he’s biracial, with a Korean mother and a Caucasian father. It’s so original because authors usually write about the most widely used ethnic groups such as Chinese or Afro-American communities. So, reading about a Korean protagonist is inspiring and a much needed fresh air to the YA category. Moreover, the actual display of Drayden’s intelligence and logic process. It is so well done! I rarely saw this before, except in the Sherlock Holmes books, which is an important point (I’m a huge Sherlock Holmes fan). It shows and feels that he is intelligent. Most of the times, authors claim their main character is clever but seldom show it. It’s one of the things I love most about "The Initiation" : the truth of Drayden’s intelligence.

Last point about Drayden: he’s oblivious about his own courage. He thinks he’s a coward, but really he keeps facing the challenges and being brave despite the terrible situations he’s in. All in order to find the answer as to why his mom was exiled. He’s also quite helpful to others. He always calls himself a coward, but he’ll do anything that is required of him to either help others or achieve his goals. It’s beautiful to see his actions and words are two different things, in the most positive of ways. In my opinion, he’s quite brave. I particularly love how we see him slowly acknowledge this side of him that was there all along. It’s character discovery at its finest.

Now, what about the other characters? Well, the most distinctive trait is how diverse they are! I mean, their personalities pop from one another and they even clash. It’s refreshing to read such characters; they really seem alive to me and I can never wait jumping back into my reading to join them again. It’s like they became my friends! And that’s so amazing. Usually, characters share a few traits and all sound very similar. Not here, nuh huh.

Let’s talk about “The Initiation”, or more precisely, the challenges it involves. They’re so intense I shuddered here and there and was genuinely relieved when no one was hurt, and so on. There are the physical challenges which are seriously hard and made me shiver with disgust and fear. Then, there are my favorites: the intelligence trials. I love, love, love love love the puzzles! They’re not easy and they’re highly entertaining AND stressful. Wonderful! As I’m not one for math, I was quite surprised to find myself actively working to decipher the puzzles! Seriously, that’s exactly what I’m looking for in book challenges.

I’ve got the tackle the New America’s swear words and vocabulary. They’re so amusing and funny! It goes like: shkat, chotch, wetchop, etc. They sound and look funny and I just love it. It’s varied, it sounds good, and they replace our own swear words. Thinking of it, it just makes sense that they’d have their own lingo because they’ve been living secluded from the rest of the world, or what is left of it. So, bonus points for this creative vocabulary!

Also, the division between the Dorms and the Palace (and other districts) in New America is painfully realistic. It features the never-ending inequality issue and you can see it worsens as you read on. A big issue reflected well and exaggerated (or is it?) in the story. I love this side of it, even though it’s not “positive” per say, but I think it really helps in setting the world up.

Speaking of the world, the Confluence (the confluence of four major issues such as hacked communications and superbugs, etc.) sounds way too realistic to me. It’s a very good but scary thing. Because it could totally happen! And another thing I particularly enjoyed: it’s that FINALLY there’s a YA dystopian story that EXPLAINS what happened before that led to this crappy state of the world now like New America. Bravo! It made it all better, I swear. Much more understandable, too.

The Negative Sides:

It took me a while (the good half of the book) to get accustomed to the writing. It is straight-to-the-point, though emotional (which is good!), and it doesn’t use flowery sentences nor the beauty of language. The writing is practical and functional. It has its own style. It’s not bad, but it’s quite different. So it takes a bit of getting used to. Nevertheless, I ended up rolling with it and liking it for its straightforwardness.

But that’s really the only bad side and it’s not so bad.

Give it a try. Not everyone likes the same things, so you might enjoy it right away.

In Conclusion:

I’m SO glad of having read this book! It’s right next to the Hunger Games and the Maze Runner in my favorite dystopians. All the positive sides definitely beat the semi-negative point. I’m giving “The Initiation” a rating of 5 out of 5 for all the fun I had reading this book and living the actual Initiation with the characters. I was finally shown great puzzles in a book AND explanations as to why the world was dystopian now. And Drayden… I just love him, okay? He’s such a sweetie. And a courageous (though oblivious) one at that!

What’s not to love?

If you want to learn more about the author, you can visit his Web site, you can also follow him on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Goodreads. You can visit his publisher, Permuted Press, https://permutedpress.com/. You can also add "The Initiation" to your bookshelves on Goodreads and LibraryThing.

Unwritten: A Review

Book Reviews June 17, 2019 Leave a comment

Genre: Middle Grade, Magic, Fantasy, Adventure, Quest for Self, Modern, Fairy Tale

Pages: 198
ISBN: 9781631631771
Format: Paperback, eBook
Publication date: October 16th, 2018
Publisher: Jolly Fish Press
Type: Novel

*A special thanks to NetGalley and Jolly Fish Press for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.*

The Blurb:

Gracie lives with her mother in our world, though she suffers from “story glimmers”, which are memories from what happened in the book Gertrude Winters wrote about her. Indeed, Gracie and her family as well as her best friend Walter are all characters from Bondoff, a magical world that Winters created. They got out of the story, unbeknownst to the author, in order to save themselves from Cassandra, the evil stepmother who wants to get her hands on the magical book and control everything.

But is everything as it’s been told to Gracie? She wants to talk to Gertrude Winters to ask more about Bondoff and the book, but what she will find will be more dangerous and life-altering than she could have imagined.

Will Gracie come out it strong?

Is there a choice to make to be who you truly are?

Introduction:

You know when a book cover grabs your attention, then the blurb just compels you to read the book and the story just amazes you? That’s exactly what happened for me with Unwritten by Tara Gilboy. As soon as I saw it on NetGalley, I knew I had to request it. Fortunately (to me, at least, haha), my request was granted.

Thanks a lot, NetGalley and Jolly Fish Press!

The Positive Sides:

The best positive side has to be how this story tells of an identity quest. It asks important questions while never being boring and it gives the reader the sentiment/feeling of being in control of one’s destiny and actions, to choose who we want to be. Perfect and extremely moving!

As for the writing itself, it is sweet but honest with an emphasis (rightfully so) on Gracie’s turmoil of emotions. What a ride! Speaking of Gracie, I extend my thought to the characters because they felt alive to me. Gertrude did feel off sometimes and sounded trite in her dialogue, but Walter (Gracie’s friend), her mother, Cassandra, and the rest popped out of the story to me (see what I did here?).

Now, I can’t reveal spoilers (goddammit, how I hate those pesky nuisances!), BUT I can tell you two things:

1- The plot twist with Gracie halfway down the road is PER.FECT.ION!

2- The very last sentence gave me so many feels I had tears in my eyes! It sums up the story pretty well and it’s quite a nice touch there.

Moreover, the theme of Unwritten is fundamental and wonderful at the same time. Fear not, it is NOT force-fed to us, no. It flows with the rhythm of the story and it’s just so precious. It focuses on choosing who you want to be and staying true to that person. Amazing! And so vital.

Oh, and I wasn’t bored even ONCE! It captured my attention from cover to end, never failing. It held my interest all the while. There were enough action scenes (yes, where Gracie has to make quick and hard decisions) and emotional insights to her. I loved her relationships with the different characters and her own nature. She was fun and strong in her own right, looking for her true identity with admirable determination.

In the end, this is the story I was personally looking for as a child and teenager! Unfortunately, there was nothing like it at the time and I felt so alone. I believe this book can help others like me who are too different and have so many doubts about themselves and who they should be versus who they are. Needless to say that’s a huge point to me.

The Negative Sides:

What about them?

Where are they?

Honestly, I don’t know. I was waiting for a negative side to show up but it never did. In my opinion, it’s a flawless middle-grade book.

In Conclusion:

I have so many excellent things to say about this book, but since numbers help too, here you are: I give it a rating of 5 out of 5 no less. And trust me, if I could, I would give it way more! But alas, rating has to be contained to a specific number… I can’t rate 10 out of 5, even though I genuinely want to with Unwritten by Tara Gilboy.

To me, it’s such a good MG story, it goes with the likes of Percy Jackson and Harry Potter. If that’s not grand, I don’t know what is. But don’t take my word for it: try it for yourself. You’ll see, it’s pretty darn great!

Here’s a bonus great news I found on Goodreads from the author, Tara Gilboy, herself: Is this a stand-alone or the first in a series? “I’ve been dying to answer this question and wasn’t able to announce it until now! Yes, there will be a sequel! I am hard at work on it right now, and it will release in spring 2020!”

I couldn’t be happier! We’re getting a sequel, woohoot!

If you want to learn more about the author, you can visit her Web site, you can also follow her on Twitter, Facebook and Goodreads. You can visit her publisher, Jolly Fish Press. You can also add Unwritten to your bookshelves on Goodreads and LibraryThing.

The Initiation: A Book Review

Book Reviews February 26, 2019 1 Comment

by Chris Babu

Genre: YA,Sci-Fi, Post-Apocalyptic, Dystopian

Pages: 320
ISBN: 978-1682615935
Format: Hardcover, Paperback, eBook (Kindle & Kobo)
Publication date: February 27th, 2018
Publisher: Permuted Press
Type: Novel (1st in a trilogy)

*A special thanks to Chris Babu and Permuted Press for providing me with an eCopy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.*

The Blurb:

Everyone is equal. But no one is safe.

In a ruined world, Manhattan is now New America, a walled-in society based on equality. But the perfect facade hides a dark truth.

A timid math geek, sixteen-year-old Drayden watches his life crumble when his beloved mother is exiled. The mystery of her banishment leads him to a sinister secret: New America is in trouble, and every one of its citizens is in jeopardy.

With time running out, he enters the Initiation. It’s a test within the empty subway tunnels—a perilous journey of puzzles and deadly physical trials. Winners join the ruling Bureau and move to its safe haven. But failure means death. Can Drayden conquer the Initiation, or is salvation out of his grasp?

Introduction:

I was offered the opportunity to review the first two books in Chris Babu’s dystopian trilogy by Permuted Press. I jumped on it because, as you lads and lasses know, I’m a big lover of dystopian. The blurb appealed to me. It seemed to have anything I love: logic, realism, courage, quests, trials, a dystopian setting… and I could go on! So, here’s my review of the first book, The Initiation. Enjoy!

Thank you so much for this pleasant opportunity, Chris Babu and Permuted Press!

The Positive Sides:

There are many things I liked and even loved about this book so hold tight. The book starts with a heartbreaking moment, Drayden’s mother’s exile from the Dorms into the wilderness that New York has become. This moment is crucial in establishing the stakes, the plot, and the characters. It was also pretty sad and I loved it! It didn’t wait and wait… until something happened. No, it did right upon opening the book! Speaking of writing, Babu, the author, knows how the describe the emotions and events in poignant manner. Kudos to him! I often found myself affected emotionally, so that’s a very good thing. I kept hoping and feeling torn with the protagonist.

Okay, hang on even tighter here because I have A LOT to say about the protagonist, Drayden. Here goes:

Drayden is LOVELY. He’s kind, considerate, affectionate, AND very clever. I don’t know how someone could even dislike him. He’s mine, okay? Mine! His origins makes me so happy: he’s biracial, with a Korean mother and a Caucasian father. It’s so original because authors usually write about the most widely used ethnic groups such as Chinese or Afro-American communities. So, reading about a Korean protagonist is inspiring and a much needed fresh air to the YA category. Moreover, the actual display of Drayden’s intelligence and logic process. It is so well done! I rarely saw this before, except in the Sherlock Holmes books, which is an important point (I’m a huge Sherlock Holmes fan). It shows and feels that he is intelligent. Most of the times, authors claim their main character is clever but seldom show it. It’s one of the things I love most about “The Initiation” : the truth of Drayden’s intelligence.

Last point about Drayden: he’s oblivious about his own courage. He thinks he’s a coward, but really he keeps facing the challenges and being brave despite the terrible situations he’s in. All in order to find the answer as to why his mom was exiled. He’s also quite helpful to others. He always calls himself a coward, but he’ll do anything that is required of him to either help others or achieve his goals. It’s beautiful to see his actions and words are two different things, in the most positive of ways. In my opinion, he’s quite brave. I particularly love how we see him slowly acknowledge this side of him that was there all along. It’s character discovery at its finest.

Now, what about the other characters? Well, the most distinctive trait is how diverse they are! I mean, their personalities pop from one another and they even clash. It’s refreshing to read such characters; they really seem alive to me and I can never wait jumping back into my reading to join them again. It’s like they became my friends! And that’s so amazing. Usually, characters share a few traits and all sound very similar. Not here, nuh huh.

Let’s talk about “The Initiation”, or more precisely, the challenges it involves. They’re so intense I shuddered here and there and was genuinely relieved when no one was hurt, and so on. There are the physical challenges which are seriously hard and made me shiver with disgust and fear. Then, there are my favorites: the intelligence trials. I love, love, love love love the puzzles! They’re not easy and they’re highly entertaining AND stressful. Wonderful! As I’m not one for math, I was quite surprised to find myself actively working to decipher the puzzles! Seriously, that’s exactly what I’m looking for in book challenges.

I’ve got the tackle the New America’s swear words and vocabulary. They’re so amusing and funny! It goes like: shkat, chotch, wetchop, etc. They sound and look funny and I just love it. It’s varied, it sounds good, and they replace our own swear words. Thinking of it, it just makes sense that they’d have their own lingo because they’ve been living secluded from the rest of the world, or what is left of it. So, bonus points for this creative vocabulary!

Also, the division between the Dorms and the Palace (and other districts) in New America is painfully realistic. It features the never-ending inequality issue and you can see it worsens as you read on. A big issue reflected well and exaggerated (or is it?) in the story. I love this side of it, even though it’s not “positive” per say, but I think it really helps in setting the world up.

Speaking of the world, the Confluence (the confluence of four major issues such as hacked communications and superbugs, etc.) sounds way too realistic to me. It’s a very good but scary thing. Because it could totally happen! And another thing I particularly enjoyed: it’s that FINALLY there’s a YA dystopian story that EXPLAINS what happened before that led to this crappy state of the world now like New America. Bravo! It made it all better, I swear. Much more understandable, too.

The Negative Sides:

It took me a while (the good half of the book) to get accustomed to the writing. It is straight-to-the-point, though emotional (which is good!), and it doesn’t use flowery sentences nor the beauty of language. The writing is practical and functional. It has its own style. It’s not bad, but it’s quite different. So it takes a bit of getting used to. Nevertheless, I ended up rolling with it and liking it for its straightforwardness.

But that’s really the only bad side and it’s not so bad.

Give it a try. Not everyone likes the same things, so you might enjoy it right away.

In Conclusion:

I’m SO glad of having read this book! It’s right next to the Hunger Games and the Maze Runner in my favorite dystopians. All the positive sides definitely beat the semi-negative point. I’m giving “The Initiation” a rating of 5 out of 5 for all the fun I had reading this book and living the actual Initiation with the characters. I was finally shown great puzzles in a book AND explanations as to why the world was dystopian now. And Drayden… I just love him, okay? He’s such a sweetie. And a courageous (though oblivious) one at that!

What’s not to love?

If you want to learn more about the author, you can visit his Web site, you can also follow him on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Goodreads. You can visit his publisher, Permuted Press, https://permutedpress.com/. You can also add “The Initiation” to your bookshelves on Goodreads and LibraryThing.