Blog Tour + Review: IRON PENDULUM by Megan Curd

Hi everyone!!! Today we're one of the tour stops for the Iron Pendulum blog tour! Read on for my full review of the book! Also there will be a giveaway at the end, giving away some delicious prices!

Title: Iron Pendulum (Periodic #2)
Author: Megan Curd
Release Date: 28th August 2014
Publisher: -
Find on: Goodreads

Quick Review: Six months ago, Avery thought the world ended outside Dome Four. Thought she was one of the few of her kind. Thought the war that brought the human race to the brink of extinction was over.

But six months can change everything.

After fighting to escape a tyranny she didn't even know existed, Avery has had to come to grips with all the secrets she's uncovered. But more secrets continue to come to light, revealing how little of her world she truly knew. When evidence starts to show that Dome Four might be under siege, Avery knows what she must do.

Returning to the dome she longed to escape is a challenge for Avery, but now she knows there’s corruption lurking in the shadows. A massive steam shortage leaves half the dome without power, and people are falling ill. Dying.

And they’re blaming Avery.

Six months can change everything. One more month could kill everyone. The clock is ticking.

Detailed Review: <<I received an ARC of this book from the author in exchange for my honest review>>

Iron Pendulum is the long-awaited sequel to Steel Lily. Yes, long-awaited, because I couldn't wait to see what Avery and her friends were going to do to help Dome Four and its inhabitants.

When I was reading, I found myself laughing and smiling one moment and panting the next, and then possibly crying. 

The laughing part was mainly from Jaxon and his sharp tongue, as usual. The crying and panting? Well, there definitely wasn't anything funny.

I was ranting about Iron Pendulum to one of my blogger friends, Anna from Enchanted by YA. And this is what I told her.

IRON PENDULUM IS 10 TIMES BETTER THAN THE HUNGER GAMES.

Because if you compare it to The Hunger Games, come on. There is seriously no need to compare. Iron Pendulum was such a good book, and undoubtedly much better than its predecessor too.

Let me justify this statement. 

So much betrayal. So much I think I almost died on the spot when I found out who the traitor was. And yes, when you find out who the traitor is, the twists will come. All at once. BOOM BOOM BOOM. Be ready.

And so much tragedy and pain as well. I really felt so much pain for Avery that I wanted to cry, because no fifteen year old, even one destined to be the hope of the people, should experience what she went through. Of course, the characters each had their own part to play in the book and I adored all of them. Even Riggs.

Except some, of course. Like Xander, for example.

And someone who you wouldn't expect to hate when you reach the end. 

The story was perfect. I shall leave it at that. That sentence is enough to show what I thought about the book.

And don't worry about the action. There's action already waiting for you in the first chapter, and it builds up to one explosive climax at the end.

As well as one cliffhanger.

My pleasure for giving you this warning.

Brief Review: Iron Pendulum needs to be read by every single dystopian fan, because I believe that it really is the trademark of the dystopian genre. Not only did it speak of hope in its simple but beautiful writing, it spoke of love in its many forms, from family to friends. That, I believe is what every true dystopian book should have, besides an oppressed world searching for hope. Megan Curd did it right and I just want to thank her for writing this sequel so perfectly.


Final Rating: 5/5 (no questions about it! I'd give it a six if I could!) 'Totally Amazing!!!'

QUOTE:

 Something Riggs said about trust struck a chord within me,

To be trusted is a greater compliment than being loved--- George MacDonald

Your Reviewer:

Here's an excerpt that gets my adrenaline running! If you like it, I urge you to read the whole book! Hint: this happens in the first chapter.

“Jaxon…” I said, trailing off.

“Run.”

Alice’s voice rose in panic. “Jax, what do you mean—”

“When, in the history of the English language, has run ever meant anything other than run?” Jaxon’s every word was laced with tension.

And that’s when I heard them; the feral snarls of what used to be human beings echoing down the tunnel.

Ground Zeroes—or Zeroes, as we’d come to call them since meeting up with the Alliance—the burned army of Xander’s Resistance.

Sari took three steps back before turning on her heel. “I think we should go now.”

We backed up, trying to be as silent as possible in our exit. But then I stepped on the bones of a rat skeleton.

Echoes, then silence, and then it came.

Wild, livid, tortured growls, that shouldn’t come from any human being, rang through the tunnel. The cement shook, and I knew we were done for. There was nowhere to go; nowhere to hide.

LINKS:

Website:  http://megancurd.com/

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/MeganCurd

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/macdizzledoo/

Author Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4904383.Megan_Curd

IRON PENDULUM Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17984513-iron-pendulum

ABOUT MEGAN CURD

Megan Curd is a graduate of Northwestern College in St. Paul, Minnesota. While having always enjoyed reading any books she could get her hands on, Megan didn’t begin writing until a friend encouraged her to do so while in college. 

When not writing, Megan enjoys spending time with her family and friends. Photography, traveling and snowboarding are hobbies she loves, and she doesn’t turn down the opportunity to play xBox with her brother and friends when it presents itself.

Megan currently resides in Ohio with her husband and son, where she is trying to convert them into Buckeye fans.

This blog tour is hosted by:

8/30 Rafflecopter ($5 gift card to choice of Starbucks or iTunes + ecopy of Steel Lily): 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review: Raging Star by Moira Young

Title: Raging Star (Dustlands #3)

Author: Moira Young

Release Date: 13th May 2014

Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books

Find on: Goodreads

Quick Review: Her passion kept them alive. Now it may destroy them all.

Saba is ready to seize her destiny and defeat DeMalo...until she meets him and finds herself drawn to the man and his vision of a healed earth, a New Eden. DeMalo wants Saba to join him, in life and work, to build a stable, sustainable world…for the chosen few. The young and the healthy. Under his control.

Jack’s choice is clear: to fight DeMalo and try to stop New Eden. Presumed dead, he's gone undercover, feeing Saba crucial information in secret meetings. Saba hides her connection with DeMalo and commits herself to the fight. Joined by her brother, Lugh, and her sister, Emmi, Saba leads a small guerilla band against the settlers and the Tonton militia. But the odds are overwhelming. Saba knows how to fight—she's not called the Angel of Death for nothing. But what can she do when the fight cannot be won? Then DeMalo offers Saba a chance—a seductive chance she may not be able to refuse. How much will she sacrifice to save the people she loves?

The road has never been more dangerous, and betrayal lurks in the most unexpected places in the breathtaking conclusion to the Dust Lands Trilogy.

Detailed Review: I am convinced that if I don't write a review for Raging Star, I don't deserve to live.

Raging Star is so twisted in a way that it makes me want to cry and laugh and scream at the same time. I thought Rebel Heart was the best the author could do.

Moira Young proved me wrong. Once again, she decides to throw everything you know right in your face and yell, 'Gotcha!'

If you read the last paragraph of the book's description, I have to let you know that it really applies to the book.

It was explosive, and yes, betrayal is a strong theme in the book.

And the best (or worst) part is that you can't possibly guess who the traitor will be. I was so shocked to find out who the real traitor was that I had to stop and honour that part for a few minutes. I wasn't just honouring it, I also paid great respect to Young's writing. 

She deserved it.

Anyways, moving on, the characters were just so well-written and had so much depth to them I couldn't help but feel a sense of loss when I finished reading the book. I felt such a strong connection to them, even minor characters like Emmi and Molly.

The mention of Emmi reminds me. I think Saba is not the only heroine in the book. I believe Emmi also deserves the title. She earned it in Raging Star. I don't think I've ever read about a more determined and stubborn ten-year-old than her.

The story isn't just made up of one plot, it's different plots interweaving together to finally contribute to one mind-blowing ending, which is the 'big rumble' Saba talked about in the book.

As for twists, no disappointments there. That department really worked full-time in Raging Star.

But I really wished the ending was more satiating... That's all I will say.

Brief Review: There is more than one incentive to read the book.  Complex characters with complex relationships, some gawdamn big rumbles (as Saba would say) and one magnificent story. That is more than enough. Being the last in a trilogy, this book is the best masterpiece Moira Young has ever written yet.

Final Rating: 5/5 'Totally Amazing!'

QUOTE: 

I believe Raging Star wasn't just about love and starting anew, it's about heroes as well,

Hard times don't create heroes. It is during the hard times when the 'hero' within us is revealed--- Bob Riley

Your Reviewer:

Review: Obstacles by Chris Reardon

Title: Obstacles

Author: Chris Reardon
Release Date: 1st October 2013
Publisher: Solstice Publishing
Find on: Goodreads

Quick Review: A child will die. You're afraid to live. Would you go to all lengths to save him? Darkness knows no bounds, as Alcott, an African American doctor sees all too well. The man is petrified by death. His fragile existence rests at the mercy of the universe. This fact is far too much for him to handle. From unyielding nightmares to elevator terrors, he's lost in paranoia. 

Assigned to look after an ill child, Alcott's horrors only heighten. Gari is a nine-year-old boy with a fatal disease. He will surely pass on within the year. Alcott bonds with him more and more each day. Part of him knows this grim fate just isn't right. 

Alcott befriends a hospital patient. This lunatic forces him to lug home an ancient text on bringing back the dead. Despite the man's obvious dementia, Alcott attempts the scheme. Charging up a cliff, he recites the chant over ocean gusts. 

A god woman glides in from the horizon. She instructs Alcott on the trials to save Gari's life. These fearsome Obstacles require true strength. From battling sharks to wielding a flail, he must prove fortitude against genuine danger. Alcott decides his fate at this moment. 

Death's claws shall not grasp Gari's soul.

Detailed Review: *I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review*

A review has been long due for this book; I actually read it last year, but unfortunately at that time school got in the way, so I never had the chance to voice my thoughts on Obstacles.

It was a short read, and a fast-paced one. I finished it in a matter of hours. 

You want to know more? Think The Hunger Games.

This book is about a man who fears death, but a boy who is diagnosed with a chronic illness gave him the courage and determination to sacrifice himself.

The sacrifice involves a set of obstacles which he has to overcome. If he passes them, the boy will live.

However, there's a catch.

Alcott's existence will be erased from the boy's life. He will not remember him, or thank him for what the doctor has done. 

I was really surprised at how taken I was with the book. I literally. Could. Not. Stop. Reading.

Page after page after page after page. I couldn't even stop if I wanted to my hands were flipping the pages so fast.

The obstacles that Alcott had to go through were ones I found funny at times and scary at others. I mean, battling a gigantic mosquito? Um, I do not want to experience that, not even in my dreams. 

I have to give the author credit for his wonderful imagination. I tell you, he's got a creative streak. I could tell from reading his book. 

The characters had unique and original backgrounds too. But they all had one similarity: they were willing to sacrifice themselves for the people they loved. And I was touched by that fact.

I wouldn't have thought Reardon would have it in him, but he bravely put in one twist that changed everything, EVERYTHING, in the book. I was so surprised and shocked, I almost dropped the book.

This book is almost like the indie version of The Hunger Games.

Sadly, no matter how much I convinced my co-blogger Chloe that she should read it, she said no. 

Why?

The cover. That was the reason she gave me.

And if you don't know by now, Chloe is a massive cover-judger ( I can be one too but I often make exceptions) and she absolutely did not want to pick up the book because she didn't think the cover was nice.

That story up there holds a message: DON'T be like Chloe. I'm not mad at her for not reading the book, but I'd appreciate it if people could learn to not judge books by their covers, because, sometimes, the cover can't often be a show of the content, whether it's good or bad.

So please, give books like Obstacles a chance.

Brief Review: The author obviously has a really good imagination, and I believe he couldn't have written Obstacles as well as he did without it. But ultimately, this isn't just about your darkest fears, it's about sacrificing yourself for the people you love .Be prepared to face your fears in this book because anything can happen. If you want a fast-paced read that is short, I definitely recommend Obstacles!!! 

Final Rating: 5/5 'Totally Amazing!'

QUOTE: 

Martin Luther King Jr. said it best,

A man who won't die for something is not fit to live---Martin Luther King Jr.

Your Reviewer:

ARC Review: One, Two, Three by Elodie Nowodazkij

Title: One, Two, Three
Author: Elodie Nowodazkij
Release Date: 26th June 2014
Publisher: -
Find on: Goodreads

Quick Review: When seventeen-year-old Natalya’s dreams of being a ballerina are killed in a car accident along with her father, she must choose: shut down—like her mother—or open up to love. 

Last year,seventeen-year-old Natalya Pushkaya was attending the School of Performing Arts in New York City. Last year, she was well on her way to becoming a professional ballerina. Last year, her father was still alive.

But a car crash changed all that—and Natalya can’t stop blaming herself. Now, she goes to a regular high school in New Jersey; lives with her onetime prima ballerina, now alcoholic mother; and has no hope of a dance career.

At her new school, however, sexy soccer player Antonio sees a brighter future for Natalya, or at least a more pleasant present. Keeping him an arabesque away proves to be a challenge for Natalya and his patient charms eventually draw her out of her shell. 

When upsetting secrets come to light and Tonio’s own problems draw her in, Natalya shuts down again, this time turning to alcohol herself.

Can Natalya learn to trust Antonio before she loses him—and destroys herself?

Detailed Review: <<I received a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review>>

This book isn't light. It's a lot to take in. It has exactly the same effect as Never Say Goodbye by Bethan Cooper, where everything builds up to an explosive climax that shatters everything you know about the characters into pieces.

The author is unforgiving when it comes to breaking your heart. She is merciless when doing so. If you ask the author to spare you the heartbreak, she'll probably add in more heartbreaking parts. Not saying she is mean or anything but all authors seem to be generally evil when it comes to this.

The characters in this book were really well thought-out, as all good books must have. Nata had lots of character development throughout the book, which I liked because it showed how she coped with her father's death, the fact that she may not dance professionally anymore and the secret and lies she unearths about the accident. You can see that through her a strong facade, is also a girl who's desperate for someone to help and protect her. 

Tonio made a great pairing with Nata. They complement each other so well; you could already see the chemistry brewing between both of them from their first meeting. The romance was scrumptious, that I can guarantee. He also has some secrets that he's never told anyone; not even his family. So both of them are on the same level, making their relationship...hotter.

Tonio's sister, Karina was a cute and bubbly character. It's not hard to imagine her in real life, really. I'd wish I had a sister like that! She's just the cutest and most adorable character I've ever read.

I'd absolutely love it if I had a best friend like Becca (well, I think I do). She is the best support mechanism when you're about to fall apart. Becca's talented, caring, kind and selfless when it comes to Nata and I admire her for being such a good friend, even when Nata had pushed her away.

The story was actually quite simple, but there are layers underneath waiting to be discovered as the pages turn. It's just that the secrets are unpleasant- which is what causes Nata to lose herself to the alcohol. The author's writing style also makes the story more realistic as she hits you with sudden thoughts about the accident and basically, life. 

I could also compare this book to Words And Their Meanings by Kate Bassett. Both the main characters have lost someone and something precious to them; they discover that the person who they lost is not who they seem to be. Both authors use the same concept, but their writing style is noticeably different. Nowodazkij opts for the straight-forward method where she slams something into your face and Bassett chooses to reveal the truth and secrets to you in origami cranes.

The ending was beautiful and unexpected; I totally loved that. It was an ending and also a new beginning *cries*

Brief Review: With compelling characters and sudden musings, this book is sure to break your heart and make you sing at the same time. I don't know how the author does it, but that's just talent. In One, Two, Three, the author weaves a story about the art of moving on, and to be wholly yourself to be happy and to not let something we love or do wholly define us. Overall, a very good start for Nowodazkij!

QUOTE: 

To show how important family is in this book:

Family is not an important thing. It's everything---Michael J. Fox

Final Rating: 4.5/5 'Really Liked It!'











Your Reviewer:

Review: If I Stay by Gayle Forman

Title: If I Stay
Author: Gayle Forman
Release Date: April 2, 2009
Publisher: Dutton Juvenile
Find On: Goodreads and Amazon.

Quick Review:

Just listen, Adam says with a voice that sounds like shrapnel.

I open my eyes wide now.
I sit up as much as I can.
And I listen.

Stay, he says.

Choices. Seventeen-year-old Mia is faced with some tough ones: Stay true to her first love—music—even if it means losing her boyfriend and leaving her family and friends behind?

Then one February morning Mia goes for a drive with her family, and in an instant, everything changes. Suddenly, all the choices are gone, except one. And it's the only one that matters.

If I Stay is a heartachingly beautiful book about the power of love, the true meaning of family, and the choices we all make.

Detailed Review:

There’s this lump in my throat every. single. time. I read this book.

Tears start prickling in my eyes and all I want to do is bawl up and cry until I can't cry anymore tears.

I first got a copy of this book in July (2013) after hearing that there would be a movie coming out later this year.

Believe it or not, it took me 5 months to read this book.

But it wasn’t because this book was dead-boring or because I didn’t have the time to.

It was quite the opposite actually.

I literally could not read this book because… well… I guess it was because I just knew this would be one of those books.

The ones that make you want to curl up in a ball and do nothing for days afterwards because you’re too sad to.

I guess I wanted to deal with the aftermath of this book on my own. When I had the time to.

First published in 2009, “If I Stay” by Gayle Forman is different. I’ve never read a book quite like this one.

… And I like that.

It also poses a very good question: What would you do if you had to choose?

For me, the main character is refreshing. It feels like she could be my best friend. I relate to her not because of the tragedy in her life or anything of that sort. It probably sounds incredibly stupid but I’ve always had a soft spot for main characters that play classical music – be it the cello or the piano. It just happens.

I guess it’s because I’m a pianist and all that jazz.

Stupid, right?

There’s this suddenness about how everything falls apart so quickly. It’s like those moments you hear about all the time – where if you blinked, you would have missed it.

I can’t imagine going through what Mia did.

I guess I’m lucky that way. I hope I never will.

One minute, everything is going magnificently – the whole world is at your feet and the next… your whole world has been flipped upside down.

”You wouldn’t expect the radio to work afterward. But it does.

The car is eviscerated. The impact of a four-ton pickup truck going sixty miles an hour plowing straight into the passenger side had the force of an atom bomb. It tore off the doors, sent the front-side passenger seat through the driver’s-side window. It flipped the chassis, bouncing it across the road and ripped the engine apart as if it were no stronger than a spider web. It tossed wheels and hubcaps deep into the forest. It ignited bits of the gas tank, so that now tiny flames lap at the wet road.

And there was so much noise. A symphony of grinding, a chorus of popping, an aria of exploding, and finally, the sad clapping of hard metal cutting into soft trees. Then it went quiet, except for this: Beethoven’s Cello Sonata no. 3, still playing. The car radio somehow still is attached to a battery and so Beethoven is broadcasting into the once-again tranquil February morning.

At first I figure everything is fine. For one, I can still hear the Beethoven. Then there’s the fact that I am standing here in a ditch on the side of the road. When I look down, the jean skirt, cardigan sweater, and the black boots I put on this morning all look the same as they did when we left the house.” 

Oh, but the fragility of life.

It is the reality of things.

The sad, bitter, harsh and incredibly cruel reality of things.

The author has this way with words. He’s so descriptive, but not overly so. He has that natural balance that so many of us could spend a lifetime trying to perfect, but without talent, we would probably never quite get there.

If you had to choose between living and dying what would you choose?

For many of us, the answer seems simple.

“I’d want to live, duh.”

But it isn’t always.

Imagine having lost your loved ones, your blood relatives, the people you have known your entire life.

Would you still choose life?

I know this sounds crazy stupid but I wouldn’t.

Dying is easy… It’s living that’s hard.

I’ll be honest. Brutally and totally honest.

My family means the world to me.

My friends do too.

I probably don’t tell them this enough but they are the most amazing people in the whole entire world.

And I feel blessed to have them in my life.

I would take a bullet for my family and my friends.

They are the support system that keeps my head above the water when I think I’m about to drown.

And to lose even part of that support system?

To lose my family?

I think I’d fall apart.

This is one of those books that make you cry and laugh. I've read this book over a hundred times and I swear, after I finish reading this, I hold onto my family so much tighter and remind myself just how blessed I am.

If you haven't read the book, you definitely should and you should also check out the trailer and consider going to see the movie when it comes out in August.

Final Rating: 5/5 'Totally Amazing!'

Your Reviewer:

The New Kid On The Block,

Linda AKA Inno.

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