Kris's Mini Reviews

Perfect Ruin by Lauren DeStefano (Internment Chronicles)

On the floating city of Internment, you can be anything you dream, unless you approach the edge. Morgan Stockhour knows getting too close can lead to madness, like her older brother Lex, a Jumper. She takes solace in her best friend Pen, and in Basil, the boy she’s engaged to marry. When she investigates the first murder in a generation, she meets Judas. The suspect was betrothed to the victim, but Morgan believes he is innocent. Nothing can prepare Morgan for the secrets she will find – or whom she will lose.

My Review:
This book was problematic. On the one hand, I love DeStefano's writing style. She always has a great story idea and is just a fantastic writer all around. 

But in this case, I couldn't get into the world-building. It was disappointing. I'll continue with the series but it's not my favorite thing ever.

Burning Kingdoms by Lauren DeStefano (Internment Chronicles #2)

Danger descends in the second book of The Internment Chronicles, from the New York Times bestselling author of The Chemical Garden trilogy.

After escaping Internment, Morgan and her fellow fugitives land on the ground to finally learn about the world beneath their floating island home.

The ground is a strange place where water falls from the sky as snow, and people watch moving pictures and visit speakeasies. A place where families can have as many children as they want, their dead are buried in vast gardens of bodies, and Internment is the feature of an amusement park.

It is also a land at war.

Everyone who fled Internment had their own reasons to escape their corrupt haven, but now they’re caught under the watchful eye of another king who wants to dominate his world. They may have made it to the ground, but have they dragged Internment with them?

My Review:
Wow! Lauren DeStefano wrote a 2nd book that doesn't suffer from Middle Volume Syndrome. I am VERY impressed. I almost never read a trilogy with a good middle volume anymore. Awesome. 

I still don't necessarily love the world, because it's confusing and odd. It seems like it's on Earth for one minute, and then it's suddenly clear it's ... not on Earth? I'm not sure. But the characters are fantastic. Every one is different and well thought out and well written. You get some amazing insights into Pen and Thomas and Morgan here and they are fascinating.  

For that reason alone, I will definitely read book 3 when it comes out. I'm actually kind of bummed I read this series now because I don't want to wait for book 3!

Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

The poverty stricken Reds are commoners, living under the rule of the Silvers, elite warriors with god-like powers.

To Mare Barrow, a 17-year-old Red girl from The Stilts, it looks like nothing will ever change.

Mare finds herself working in the Silver Palace, at the centre of
those she hates the most. She quickly discovers that, despite her red blood, she possesses a deadly power of her own. One that threatens to destroy Silver control.

But power is a dangerous game. And in this world divided by blood, who will win? 

My Review:
Oooooh. I am very intrigued to see where this series goes. I sorely hope it does not fall victim to the deadly Middle Book Syndrome.  

This book reminded me a lot of Red Rising, only for a young adult audience. I think that's why I liked it so much. Imagine X-Men meeting The Hunger Games, and you kind of have a slight idea of the world and plot of Red Queen.  

Mare is a great character. She's spunky and brash and dumb but also resourceful, clever and well, just interesting. I could have done without the annoying love triangle which apparently must be in all YA books written after 2005, but it wasn't the worst love triangle I've ever seen. Thank goodness. 

I think I would have more to say about this book if I had read the whole series, but since that's impossible at the moment, it'll suffice to say that it's an intriguing start. I hope the other books follow suit.