On the Edge of Gone by Corinne Duyvis

Synopsis:

January 29, 2035. That’s the day the comet is scheduled to hit—the big one. Denise and her mother and sister, Iris, have been assigned to a temporary shelter outside their hometown of Amsterdam to wait out the blast, but Iris is nowhere to be found, and at the rate Denise’s drug-addicted mother is going, they’ll never reach the shelter in time. A last-minute meeting leads them to something better than a temporary shelter—a generation ship, scheduled to leave Earth behind to colonize new worlds after the comet hits. But everyone on the ship has been chosen because of their usefulness. Denise is autistic and fears that she’ll never be allowed to stay. Can she obtain a spot before the ship takes flight? What about her mother and sister? When the future of the human race is at stake, whose lives matter most?

This book was interesting. It's a little different than I've ever read before. While it's a post apocalyptic in the sense of "the end of the world" is coming via the comet, there are still ways to survive on earth. Basically, generation ships were created to take people away from earth after disaster hit. These ships would transport people to two new planets far away where they could reestablish a bigger population on a safer planet. Meanwhile, on earth, tragedy after tragedy happens. First the comet, then earthquakes, tidal waves and tsunamis.
The most interesting part of this whole book is the fact that the main character, Denise, is autistic. I personally don't have alot of experience with autism, but if her symptoms and struggles are realistic, it was a good insight as to what she dealt with on an everyday basis and how she coped in her own way to create a sense of "normalcy". 
On top of it all (as if doomsday wasn't enough to contend with) Denise's sister Iris is missing and Denise is left to deal with a mother whose drug addictions threaten to end all sense of safety.

It's a good book. It has some questionable morals in it, but a good read.

I'd give it 6 out of 10. 

Everland by Wendy Spinale

Synopsis:
London has been destroyed in a blitz of bombs and disease. The only ones who have survived are children, among them Gwen Darling and her siblings, Joanna and Mikey. They spend their nights scavenging and their days avoiding the ruthless Marauders -- the German army led by Captain Hanz Otto Oswald Kretschmer.
Unsure if the virus has spread past England's borders but desperate to leave, Captain Hook hunts for a cure, which he thinks can be found in one of the survivors. He and his Marauders stalk the streets snatching children for experimentation. None ever return. Until the day they grab Joanna. As Gwen sets out to save her, she meets a daredevil boy named Pete. Pete offers the assistance of his gang of Lost Boys and the fierce sharpshooter Bella, who have all been living in a city hidden underground. But in a place where help has a steep price and every promise is bound by blood, it will cost Gwen. And are she, Pete, the Lost Boys, and Bella enough to outsmart Captain Hook?

This book is a very interesting version of the classic Peter Pan story. It's twisted in a post apocalyptic way with steam punk themes practically pouring out of the pages. However, it was an easy read and a pretty good story overall.
The synopsis refers to the German invasion into England, which automatically makes one think of the Second World War, however, once you get into it, the time period is fuzzy and fogged over, which made me say it's "post apocalyptic". There's underground cities, crocodiles in the sewers, Captain Hook is actually an acronym for his real name Hanz Otto Oswald Kretschmer, who is in actuality the son of an evil, abusive and powerful queen (who does not come into the picture even once). There's betrayal, grief, relief, young love, jealousy, and surprises galore. A couple of twists I wouldn't have expected. I'm not a huge fan of this book, but it is okay. I'm more defensive of fairy tales as a whole, especially if the new versions go a little too far.

So - if you're looking for something to read, you can pick this one up. Just keep in mind it's not the classic fairy tale nor is it the happy go lucky Disney version. There's more to it. I'm just not a huge fan of the steam punk. Too far-fetched for me.

Into the Dim by Janet B. Taylor

I decided to take a break in the middle of War and Peace for reasons other than it's so long. Seriously, over 1300 pages and in a long, drawn out way of writing... I will congratulate myself when I finish. I'm over halfway, but a break was in order.

I picked up Into the Dim on a whim at the library. This seems to be the way I find the best books. The cover art catches my eye and there you have it. Also - if I can't even manage to read the entirety of the synopsis on the back of the book, on the shelf it goes. I read and reread this synopsis and couldn't wait to get my hands on it.




This book was one of my favorites that I have read so far. I plan to put it back on my list to reread, especially since it was only just published earlier this year and the sequel will not be published until 2017. Ugh. I seriously read this book in a matter of days, on the edge of my seat for a majority of it and almost threw it across the room when I got to the last page and read those horrible, treacherous words "To be continued...".

Here is the synopsis:
When fragile, sixteen-year-old Hope Walton loses her mom to an earthquake overseas, her secluded world crumbles. Agreeing to spend the summer in Scotland, Hope discovers that her mother was more than a brilliant academic, but also a member of a secret society of time travelers. And she's alive, though currently trapped in the twelfth century, during the age of Eleanor of Aquitaine. Hope has seventy-two hours to rescue her mother and get back to their own time. Passing through the Dim, Hope enters a brutal medieval world of political intrigue, danger, and violence. A place where any serious interference could alter the very course of history. And when she meets a boy whose face is impossibly familiar, she must decide between her mission and her heart—both of which could leave Hope trapped in the past forever.  
    

Um... yeah. I'm not a huge fan of time travel. Sci-fi bores me a majority of the time. But this book mixes sci-fi, time travel, intrigue, drama, romance, and mystery is a complete package. It's an absolute must read.

I give it a 9 out of 10 stars and that's saying something. :)