readallthebooks – Page 23 – Sincerely Karen Jo

This Body Won’t Break

Part One

5 ★ – THRILLING YA DYSTOPIA

PUBLISHED BY AMAZON DIGITAL SERVICES SEPTEMBER 5, 2017

GENRE(S): YOUNG ADULT, DYSTOPIA

BUY AMAZON (FREE WITH KINDLE UNLIMITED)

The truth doesn’t always set you free.

Orphaned as a child, Joanna has lived her entire life in the care of the New Terra Alliance. On the verge of turning eighteen, Joanna eagerly awaits her release into what remains of society.

It was a beautiful lie.

Joanna was never meant to leave. She is part of the August Harvest, slated to die before the month’s end. With a rogue soldier’s promise to find her a way out, Joanna dares to hope. But if the NTA finds out what she knows, it won’t only be her own life at stake, but the life of the handsome soldier who has vowed to set her free.

This Body Won’t Break by Lea Mckee is phenomenal and I enjoyed it so much more than I thought I would.

Mckee’s writing is gorgeous and atmospheric. It doesn’t take long before the mystery, intrigue, and tension had me completely hooked. I honestly could not stop reading and became more and more anxious by the minute… and I TOTALLY LOVED IT! I do have to admit that I initially gave this a 4 star rating since it was too short for my liking and there were so many unanswered questions… BUT the more I thought about it, the set-up is actually quite ingenious. I HONESTLY have not stopped thinking about this story and the characters since I finished it.

The world building so far is eerie and disturbing, but absolutely fascinated me. The plot is enigmatic, well-written and full of action. Mckee does such a wonderful job slowly building the tension and suspense that I was literally holding my breath. The characters are likable and very interesting. I can’t wait to get to know them more and see how their stories unfold in the next 2 installments. There’s also a hint of a romance… and being a romance junkie, I’m so ready to swoon. As the story comes to an end, Mckee leads her characters to unknown and terrifying situations. I don’t want to say anymore, but if you’re looking for some fun thrills and chills, then you need to pick this up.

This Body Won’t Break may be short, but that was one of the most satisfying 2-3 hours of reading I’ve ever done. I’m definitely looking forward to reading the sequel when it comes out in October.

I received an advanced reader copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a fair review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This Body Won’t Break is Book One of The O-Negative Series and will be published in 3 Parts (each approx. 25k words in length). Parts will be published on the first Tuesday of every month.

Follow and Connect with Lea McKee: Website / Instagram / Twitter

Sincerely Karen Jo

Ferocious

(Vicarious #2)

Paula Stokes

5 ★ – Explosive Conclusion

PUBLISHED BY TOR TEEN AUGUST 15. 2017

GENRE(S): YOUNG ADULT, CONTEMPORARY, SCI-FI, THRILLER

PAGES: HARDCOVER 352

BUY AMAZON, BARNES AND NOBLE, BOOK DEPOSITORY

When Winter Kim finds out that her sister is dead and that she has a brother she never knew about, only two things matter―finding what’s left of her family and killing the man who destroyed her life. Her mission leads her from St. Louis to Los Angeles back to South Korea, where she grew up.

Things get increasingly dangerous once Winter arrives in Seoul. Aided by her friends Jesse and Sebastian, Winter attempts to infiltrate an international corporation to get close to her target, a nefarious businessman named Kyung. But keeping her last remaining loved ones out of the line of fire proves difficult, and when all seems to be lost, Winter must face one last devastating decision: is revenge worth sacrificing everything for? Or can she find a spark of hope in the darkness that threatens to engulf her?

What an explosive conclusion! Ferocious is everything I hoped in a sequel and as I said in my review for Vicarious, I’m so not ready to move on from this mind-blowing series.

Ferocious picks up as Winter plans for her revenge against Kyung, the man who’s caused her so much pain and took away everyone she loves. Intrigue, drama, mystery, action, and some humor keep the story moving along. There are so many twist and turns that I never knew which way the story was going. I was definitely on edge the whole time and I absolutely loved it! But amidst all the tension and madness, there are plenty of heartwarming and sweet moments too… and that made me love this series even more.

When I first met Winter, she believed that she’s too damaged to love and be loved. Seeing her grow every step of the way was so rewarding. I was totally fist pumping when she finally comes to realize that her past does not define who she is nor does it determine what her future will be. I truly adore Jesse with all my heart. He genuinely cares for Winter and does what he can to protect and help her in every way possible. He’s kind, gentle, and patient so it’s difficult not to fall for someone like him. And Baz… he’s just so awesome. I loved that I was able to get to know him more and by the end, I definitely wanted to give him a big hug.

The romance in this book is ridiculously SWOONY and absolutely one of my favorite parts of this book. Winter and Jesse are so freaking cute together! Their chemistry and slow-burn romance made my heart melt from the very beginning — sweet, adorable and most of all, realistic. It never takes the front seat, but blends in so perfectly with the story. I really enjoyed watching them work out their feelings for each other and will forever ship them.

Ferocious is truly one fantastic read! It’s thrilling, exciting, well-paced, and full of surprises. It deals with tough issues that will break your heart, but leaves you with so much hope and love. It’s bittersweet saying goodbye to these characters, but the ending feels so right – the perfect conclusion to a remarkable series.

I have to mention that Paula Stokes is without a doubt a talented and versatile writer. I fell in love with her writing style when I read Girl Against the Universe last year. I now have read 4 books and a short story and honestly LOVED them all. Paula’s writing is incredibly realistic, captivating, and hits all the right FEELS. Whether it’s cute and swoony like GATU or intense and dark like Vicarious and Ferocious, she delivers her story with so much heart. If you haven’t read any of Paula’s books, you are totally missing out on something absolutely amazing!

I received an advanced reader copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a fair review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Follow / Connect with Paula Stokes: Website / Instagram / Twitter / Facebook

Sincerely Karen Jo