Enclave by Ann Aguirre

Title: Enclave (Book 1)
Author: Ann Aguirre
Pages: 272
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Publication Date: April 12, 2011
Source: ARC from Publisher for Review
Official TUBL Rating: A

New York City has been decimated by war and plague, and most of civilization has migrated to underground enclaves, where life expectancy is no more than the early 20's. When Deuce turns 15, she takes on her role as a Huntress, and is paired with Fade, a teenage Hunter who lived Topside as a young boy. When she and Fade discover that the neighboring enclave has been decimated by the tunnel monsters—or Freaks—who seem to be growing more organized, the elders refuse to listen to warnings. And when Deuce and Fade are exiled from the enclave, the girl born in darkness must survive in daylight, in the ruins of a city whose population has dwindled to a few dangerous gangs. As the two are guided by Fade’s long-ago memories, they face dangers, and feelings, unlike any they’ve ever known.

Gripping, harsh, and bleak, Enclave is a brutal look at an underground society in a post-apocalyptic world. Aguirre's borderline-disturbing descriptions of gore and the blood, intertwined with the severe dystopian backdrop creates an air of unpredictable suspense. In a world of 'Freaks' and strident conditions, the tyranny of the Enclave reserves no cruelty. The gritty descriptions of the world beyond the Enclave is even worse, but nonetheless horrifyingly vivid.

Deuce is such a strong protagonist. From the very beginning, her mental and physical strength is distinct in her choppy (in a good way), raw narration. She's tough inside and out. Her fierce and unfailing loyalty to those around her is admirable. Amongst her characteristics, the readers will find her ability to overcome pure fear, a rare quality that not many protagonists have. Deuce is independent and truly embodies all of the qualities of a huntress.

As an outsider, Fade's character is much more standoffish and aloof. As Deuce and Fade get to know each other, the spark of romance and attraction is there but neither party talks about it, deriving a stronger sense of tension between the two characters. They have a lot of similarities in terms of values and ability. But Fade, because of his knowledge and street-smarts of Topside, is able to protect Deuce and take care of her, adding to the emotional turmoil between them.

Aguirre's prose completely mirrors the grim and sharp atmosphere that Enclave is set against. The descriptions of the 'Freaks' and the ravaged environment is almost disturbing and unrelenting. As the action and suspense grows, so does the sense of danger. Survival is key and when Enclave ends, readers' hearts will finally relax.

The Bottom Line: The dystopian world here is so vividly descriptive and so much heart-stopping action occurs in so little pages. I was lost in the world of Enclave from the very page up until the very last.

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A Need So Beautiful by Suzanne Young

Title: A Need So Beautiful
Author: Suzanne Young
Pages: 272
Publisher: Balzer & Bray
Publication Date: June 21, 2011
Source: ARC from Publisher for Review
Official TUBL Rating: A

We all want to be remembered. Charlotte's destiny is to be Forgotten...

Charlotte’s best friend thinks Charlotte might be psychic. Her boyfriend thinks she’s cheating on him. But Charlotte knows what’s really wrong: She is one of the Forgotten, a kind of angel on earth, who feels the Need—a powerful, uncontrollable draw to help someone, usually a stranger.

But Charlotte never wanted this responsibility. What she wants is to help her best friend, whose life is spiraling out of control. She wants to lie in her boyfriend's arms forever. But as the Need grows stronger, it begins to take a dangerous toll on Charlotte. And who she was, is, and will become--her mark on this earth, her very existence--is in jeopardy of disappearing completely.

Charlotte will be forced to choose: Should she embrace her fate as a Forgotten, a fate that promises to rip her from the lives of those she loves forever? Or is she willing to fight against her destiny--no matter how dark the consequences.

Intense and emotional, A Need So Beautiful captures the very crux of beautiful writing. It's a stunningly-woven story that will elicit so much emotion from the reader. Young sets the book in a contemporary environment, letting readers relate to Charlotte in a way despite the paranormal ordeal that she goes through. The concept of The Need is beautiful but nonetheless a little painful. In the novel, Young plays with the idea of light and dark and good vs. evil but the originality enhances the whole plot.

Charlotte is down-to-earth and ordinary (despite The Need). Her perspective is brimming with a sense of isolation and secrecy because she can't share her secret; not even with the person she loves most. Every time The Need overcomes her, the readers will also feel that ultimate compulsion that Charlotte regularly feels. Charlotte's narrative oozes with her caring personality but it also has that hysteria and secretive air to it because of The Need.

Harlin's relationship with Charlotte is intense and fiery. And because they are already together, their interactions with each other are so much more authentic. Harlin isn't a prop or merely a love interest; he pushes the plot and ultimately enhances the tension in A Need So Beautiful. But even so, their romance does not dominate; instead, it creates a sort of equilibrium with the myth-heavy plot.

A Need So Beautiful is truly heartbreaking and bittersweet. It is both utterly stunning and horrifying to see Charlotte make the sacrifices, especially with the raw, pure love that she feels with Harlin. A Need So Beautiful closes with a devastatingly striking ending of understanding and finally, acceptance.

The Bottom Line: Beautiful. Just beautiful and sad.

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See My [Creative] Spark Saturday (1) - The Beautiful Broken

See My [Creative] Spark Saturday is a new feature every week here at The Undercover Book Lover. It's a feature wherein I post an original written piece; either a short story or a poem and you guys can comment and give me constructive feedback on them =) You get a glimpse of my [no matter how minuscule] creative spark!

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Today's Spark is a short story called:

The Beautiful Broken

The hospital’s empty white walls that surround the uncomfortable white bed do not contrast his features. His pale, paper-thin skin is colorless against my own. I trace his left hand tentatively, finding comfort in the simple gold band that is encircled around his ring finger.

Looking at his face, examining his features, I feel my heart drop. His usually mischievous hazel eyes are closed, showing off the long black lashes that teeter on the tip of his eyelids and his ever-present smile is gone from his now pale lips.

I hold his face cautiously, as if he will break under my touch.

“Hey.” He slowly opens his eyes, looking up at my face.

“Hey,” I whisper in reply, kissing his forehead.

He takes my hand and intertwines my fingers into his. Palm to palm; secure and at home. He lifts his other hand and holds my face, caressing my lips. “I love you,” he says simply.

A tear rolls down my cheek; his finger catches it. “Don’t cry, I’m alright.”

“Liar,” I reply, without heat.

“Do you remember at our wedding? You looked so beautiful. When saw you walk towards me, it just felt right.” He lets go of my hand and twists out the gold band wrapped around his finger.

“What are you do—“

He goes on as if I hadn’t interrupted him. “That was the best day of my life; the start of our own forever. And because it’s my last…Syrena, I need you to promise me something.”

“What?” I whisper, my voice trembling and tears running freely down my face.

“Promise me you’ll move on. And when you do, leave this ring somewhere for somebody else to find. I want somebody to find this kind of love one day; one like ours.”

He gently presses the ring into my palm and closes it. He brings my hand to his lips and softly kisses it.

A surge of unrestrained love and sadness overcomes me all at once as I hold onto his face and kiss his lips. My heart feels like it’s about to explode with the raw, powerful emotions raging within the surface.

“I will,” I say, my voice shaking. “I love you, Cade”

“I love you too,” He closes his eyes for the last time.

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I feel the wind as I look out onto the orange and pink-hued horizon atop the iridescent blue sea. The bottle with the ring inside is securely in my hand. I pull my hand back and pitch the bottle into the sea with everything I have in me. I know someone will find it. It’s the kind of love that’s hard to catch; the kind that doesn’t just come. It’s the kind that you have to find.

Love is painful and as it is beautiful. Love is everything at once. There’s no other way to describe it.

The love I have with Cade is broken, but it’s also beautiful.

Author's Note: I'm having some problems with the dialogue...I suck at it...haha =) Any advice?

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A Cup of Coffee with Reggie (6) - Paranormal Trends

A Cup of Coffee with Reggie is going to be a discussion post feature in which I discuss anything book-related. They're just normal (sometimes random) discussion posts that are named A Cup of Coffee with Reggie because it's like having a cup of coffee with me and listening (or in this case reading) about my bookish opinions. It will be a random feature here at TUBL that can pop up anywhere from twice a day to twice a year.

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Today's Topic:

What are the paranormal trends over time?

So I've been thinking a lot about paranormal and its trends and how it's changing over time. There are three really big trends that I've been noticing lately; the creature/paranormal being in the book, the over-dominance of romance, and the I'm-so-disappointed sequel.

So let's start off with the paranormal being trend:
1. Vampires
Okay, so ever since Twilight came out, everyone's been gaga over these sexy beings. I know that there are lots of books about vamps that came out before Twilight, but in its aftermath was vamp-mania...Some vamp books like the Vampire Academy Series are actually really good, but some *ahem House of Night* are just a little overdone...

2. Zombies
I love this trend. Bad Taste in Boys was hands down, THE BEST. I dunno if it's just me or if most Zombie books are always associated with hilarity...awesome =)

3. Angels
So there's a new creature on the block...Angels seem to be the new big thing lately. Hush, Hush and Halo and A Beautiful Dark (LOVED THIS) are three amazing examples of this trend. But there are also a lot of other books that I was disappointed with. This phase is still going strong and I'm excited to see if new books will finally spark some originality in this trend.

4. Werewolves
I'm not so much a werewolf fan and I don't really read a lot of werewolf books so I can't really say anything about this trend. But Nightshade was great...

Now onto the over-dominance of romance in Paranormal YA:
It is exhausting sometimes to read paranormal book after paranormal book and all you find is mushy, gooey romance. Don't get me wrong; I LOVE my romance in paranormal, but sometimes, there are just some books that are ALL romance and BARELY any paranormal.

Lastly, the I'm-so-disappointed-sequel:
I'm sort of developing a thing for not reading paranormal series books anymore. That's because usually, what happens is that the first book will blow me away, and then the sequel just screws the whole thing up...

What's your opinion? What do you guys think of the paranormal trends? Have you guys noticed any other paranormal trends?

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Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

Title: Shatter Me (Book 1)
Author: Tahereh Mafi
Pages: 352
Publisher: HarperTeen
Publication Date: November 15, 2011
Source: ARC from Publisher for Review
Official TUBL Rating: A+

Juliette hasn't touched anyone in exactly 264 days. The last time she did, it was an accident, but The Reestablishment locked her up for murder. No one knows why Juliette's touch is fatal. As long as she doesn't hurt anyone else, no one really cares. The world is too busy crumbling to pieces to pay attention to a 17-year-old-girl. Diseases are destroying the population, food is hard to find, birds don't fly anymore, and the clouds are the wrong color.

The Reestablishment said their way was the only way to fix things, so they threw Juliette in a cell. Now so many people are dead that the survivors are whispering war- and The Reestablishment has changed its mind. Maybe Juliette is more than a tortured soul stuffed into a poisonous body. Maybe she's exactly what they need right now.

Juliette has to make a choice: Be a weapon. Or be a warrior.

Poignant, real, and beautifully descriptive, Shatter Me pulls hard on every single heart-string and oozes depth and unparalleled adventure. The world of Shatter Me is part dystopian and part paranormal; but nonetheless brutal and gritty. Mafi contrives a harsh, atmospheric beauty when describing Juliette's world. Readers will be lulled into an intricate road of deception and unpredictability with Mafi's powerful, magnetic prose. Shatter Me is beautiful as it is painfully evocative.

From the very first chapter, Juliette's true essence of imprisonment and longing is infused with the tone of the novel. The jagged descriptions and the strike-throughs make Juliette seem all the more real. Every word carries a heavy weight and holds a larger impact. Juliette's perspective of the ruthless environment that cages her heart is so genuine and real. The strike-throughs lessen as the book goes on; adding a callous and raw factor to her character.

The passion in Shatter Me is truly tangible. The tensions and attraction between Juliette and Adam is electrifying from the very beginning. Because the novel is set against a seemingly hopeless backdrop, the romance between Juliette and Adam is the light in the cruel reality they live in. Even though the romance is a large part of Shatter Me, it doesn't dominate the plot.

Mafi's prose in Shatter Me is completely unrivaled. The distorting reality that she manages to make hopeful and the beautiful imagery she manages to make raw and disturbing. The metaphors used in Mafi's novel only amplifies the beauty of her writing. The element of unpredictability always harbors in the book. And as Juliette and Adam teeter on the edge of survival, so does the reader.

The Bottom Line: Shatter Me blew me away from the very first page. It's a tumultuous journey that I did not regret on going. Juliette, Adam, James, and even Warner are characters in their own right; good or evil. There's a lot of gray area, and that made Shatter Me even better. There are no words to express the ordeal that I've just gone through. No words for reading a book as amazing and unparalleled as Shatter Me. Tahereh Mafi has a new lifelong fan (or stalker =D).

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