Aliens and Terrifying Games: A Review of RUSH by Eve Silver

 
RUSH
Eve Silver
352 pages
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Release Date: June 11th, 2013
Source: ARC from Publisher
Rating: REALLY LIKED

So what’s the game now? This, or the life I used to know?

When Miki Jones is pulled from her life, pulled through time and space into some kind of game—her carefully controlled life spirals into chaos. In the game, she and a team of other teens are sent on missions to eliminate the Drau, terrifying and beautiful alien creatures. There are no practice runs, no training, and no way out. Miki has only the guidance of secretive but maddeningly attractive team leader Jackson Tate, who says the game isn’t really a game, that what Miki and her new teammates do now determines their survival, and the survival of every other person on this planet. She laughs. He doesn’t. And then the game takes a deadly and terrifying turn.

    With terrifyingly real games and aliens bent on taking over Earth, RUSH is an action-packed novel that will have you awed in no time.

   Miki Jones has been keeping her carefully built world in control for awhile, but when she's pulled into a real life game, she loses control. Miki and four others are sent on multiple missions to terminate the Drau, frightening and ruthless alien beings. But is it really a game if you can actually lose your life fighting these aliens? Filled with breathless action, RUSH is sure to leave readers stunned.

    Let's just say that my expectations for RUSH weren't exactly sky-high, namely because of the countless negative reviews on Goodreads. But Eve Silver knows how to write a captivating story, and I couldn't flip the pages fast enough. The characters had their own back stories, and by the end I knew quite a lot of stuff about secretive and arrogant Jackson Tate, the 'leader' of her team. And when characters have their own back stories, I am bound to be hooked in a story, because suddenly, these characters are real - they have lives, and their deaths could shatter my heart.

    The beginning was kind of confusing and slow, but things pick up pretty quickly once I learned how the game works. I loved how Eve Silver created the game world. It's different than any other book I've read, and reminds of real video games, complete with the health bar. But unlike video games, if you die in the game, you don't come back.

    My only problem with this book was the info dump in some parts. But even then, it wasn't that bad. The parts where the characters were pulled into the game, had me the most excited - mainly because of the high risks and the lives at stake.

   All was well until Eve Silver ended the story with a cliff-hanger. *Gollum voice* "No! Nos! We's hates you!"  Yeah. So that sums up my review of RUSH. It was brilliant and you should definitely read it.

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What's Next? (56) -- A Crewel Season of Darkness

Hi everyone! Welcome to the another week of What's Next?! Click here to read more about the meme and be sure to link up your posts below.

Here are a few I have to (or want to!) read soon. Which first?

Following an all-out battle with the walking Dead, the Spirit Hunters have fled Philadelphia, leaving Eleanor alone to cope with the devastating aftermath. But there’s more trouble ahead—the evil necromancer Marcus has returned, and his diabolical advances have Eleanor escaping to Paris to seek the help of Joseph, Jie, and the infuriatingly handsome Daniel once again. When she arrives, however, she finds a whole new darkness lurking in this City of Light. As harrowing events unfold, Eleanor is forced to make a deadly decision that will mean life or death for everyone

Enter a tangled world of secrets and intrigue where a girl is in charge of other’s destinies, but not her own.

Sixteen-year-old Adelice Lewys has always been special. When her parents discover her gift—the ability to weave the very fabric of reality—they train her to hide it. For good reason, they don’t want her to become a Spinster — one of the elite, beautiful, and deadly women who determine what people eat, where they live, how many children they have, and even when they die.

Thrust into the opulent Western Coventry, Adelice will be tried, tested and tempted as she navigates the deadly politics at play behind its walls. Now caught in a web of lies and forbidden romance, she must unravel the sinister truth behind her own unspeakable power. Her world is hanging by a thread, and Adelice, alone, can decide to save it — or destroy it.

It is the year 2059. Several major world cities are under the control of a security force called Scion. Paige Mahoney works in the criminal underworld of Scion London, part of a secret cell known as the Seven Seals. The work she does is unusual: scouting for information by breaking into others’ minds. Paige is a dreamwalker, a rare kind of clairvoyant, and in this world, the voyants commit treason simply by breathing.

But when Paige is captured and arrested, she encounters a power more sinister even than Scion. The voyant prison is a separate city—Oxford, erased from the map two centuries ago and now controlled by a powerful, otherworldly race. These creatures, the Rephaim, value the voyants highly—as soldiers in their army.

Paige is assigned to a Rephaite keeper, Warden, who will be in charge of her care and training. He is her master. Her natural enemy. But if she wants to regain her freedom, Paige will have to learn something of his mind and his own mysterious motives.

The Bone Season introduces a compelling heroine—a young woman learning to harness her powers in a world where everything has been taken from her. It also introduces an extraordinary young writer, with huge ambition and a teeming imagination. Samantha Shannon has created a bold new reality in this riveting debut

What's Next??
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THE PROMISE OF AMAZING by Robin Constantine Cover Reveal and Giveaway

I have another cover reveal for you today! This time, for Robin Constantine's debut, THE PROMISE OF AMAZING, hitting shelves from HarperTeen and Balzer + Bray next year. I'm excited to have her cover here for a signal boost and an awesome giveaway for the gorgeous book!

Wren Caswell is average. Ranked in the middle of her class at Sacred Heart, she’s not popular, but not a social misfit. Wren is the quiet, “good” girl who's always done what she's supposed to—only now in her junior year, this passive strategy is backfiring. She wants to change, but doesn’t know how.

Grayson Barrett was the king of St. Gabe’s. Star of the lacrosse team, top of his class, on a fast track to a brilliant future—until he was expelled for being a “term paper pimp.” Now Gray is in a downward spiral and needs to change, but doesn’t know how.

One fateful night their paths cross when Wren, working at her family’s Arthurian-themed catering hall, performs the Heimlich on Gray as he chokes on a cocktail weenie, saving his life literally and figuratively. What follows is the complicated, awkward, hilarious, and tender tale of two teens shedding their pasts, figuring out who they are—and falling in love

Robin Constantine is a born and bred Jersey girl who moved down South so she could wear flip-flops year round. She spends her days dreaming up stories where love conquers all, well, eventually but not without a lot of peril, angst and the occasional kissing scene.

Her YA debut, THE PROMISE OF AMAZING, will be released on December 31, 2013 by Balzer + Bray, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.

And now for the cover! What do you think?

Here's what Robin has to say about the masterpiece:
Thank you Hafsah for taking part in the cover reveal for The Promise of Amazing! I’m so thrilled to finally be able to share it. Seeing my cover for the first time was a definite ‘pinch me’ moment. Erin Fitzsimmons is the cover designer and I think she did an awesome job. What I love most about it (and I know I’m biased) is the body language of the couple on the cover. This completely embodies the dynamic of Wren and Grayson’s budding relationship in the story. Wren is a bit wary of Grayson at first, but at the same time he fascinates her and Grayson is sometimes quite literally in Wren’s face, but gives her space when she needs it. I also love the look of anticipation on both of their faces – perfect for the title. I just can’t help but smile when I see it and I hope readers feel the same way!!

Find Robin on Facebook | Her Website | Twitter
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FAKE ID by Lamar Giles Cover Reveal and Giveaway

Lamar Giles's debut YA thriller, FAKE ID, hits shelves from HarperTeen, January 2014. Needless to say, I'm pretty excited for it. And I'm even more excited to reveal the color-popping cover for it! First, here's what the book's all about. And be sure to enter to win a copy of FAKE ID below!

Nick Pearson is pretending to be someone he isn’t. Not high school pretending. Witness Protection pretending. And the #1 rule is “stay low-key”. But, when his sole friend Eli dies in the school’s journalism room under mysterious circumstances, and Nick stumbles upon the conspiracy Eli planned on exposing, staying low-key takes a backseat to staying alive.

Newspaper Nerd Eli had a secret, an in-the-works story codenamed “Whispertown”. And it’s got a lot of folks interested. Like corrupt cops, the town’s shady mayor, and certain high-ranking government officials. Teaming with Eli’s estranged (and gorgeous) sister, Nick sets out to unravel the mystery and still maintain his cover. He’ll have to use all the deviant skills he’s gained from his racketeering dad, assassin godfather, and their Serbian gangster boss to find the truth. However, each clue brings him closer to answers he may not want. Whispertown is bigger than he could have ever imagined, and in its shadow stands a killer…a killer Nick fears may be his own father.

Lamar Giles writes for teens and adults. Penning everything from epic fantasy to noir thrillers, he's never met a genre he didn't like. His debut YA mystery FAKE ID is about a teen in witness protection who investigates his best friend's murder and stumbles on a dark conspiracy. It will be published in 2014 by HarperCollins Children's Books/Amistad. He resides in Virginia with his wife and is represented by Jamie Weiss Chilton of the Andrea Brown Literary Agency.

And now for the cover! What do you think?

Find Lamar on Facebook | His Website | Twitter
Add FAKE ID to Goodreads
And now for the giveaway! Lamar and HarperTeen have generously donated a copy of FAKE ID to one lucky US winner. Prize will be shipped when available. Just fill out the Rafflecopter below! Good luck!

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What's Next? (55) - Viruses, Secrets, and Impostors

Hi everyone! Welcome to the another week of What's Next?! Click here to read more about the meme and be sure to link up your posts below.

Here are a few I have to (or want to!) read soon. Which first?

After a virus claimed nearly the entire global population, the world changed. The United States splintered into fifty walled cities where the surviving citizens clustered to start over. The Company, which ended the plague by bringing a life-saving vaccine back from the future, controls everything. They ration the scant food and supplies through a lottery system, mandate daily doses of virus suppressant, and even monitor future timelines to stop crimes before they can be committed.

Brilliant but autistic, sixteen-year-old Clover Donovan has always dreamed of studying at the Waverly-Stead Academy. Her brother and caretaker, West, has done everything in his power to make her dream a reality. But Clover’s refusal to part with her beloved service dog denies her entry into the school. Instead, she is drafted into the Time Mariners, a team of Company operatives who travel through time to gather news about the future.

When one of Clover’s missions reveals that West’s life is in danger, the Donovans are shattered. To change West’s fate, they’ll have to take on the mysterious Company. But as its secrets are revealed, they realize that the Company’s rule may not be as benevolent as it seems. In saving her brother, Clover will face a more powerful force than she ever imagined… and will team up with a band of fellow misfits and outsiders to incite a revolution that will change their destinies forever.

After a bizarre accident, Ingrid Waverly is forced to leave London with her mother and younger sister, Gabby, trading a world full of fancy dresses and society events for the unfamiliar city of Paris.

In Paris there are no grand balls or glittering parties, and, disturbingly, the house Ingrid’s twin brother, Grayson, found for them isn’t a house at all. It’s an abandoned abbey, its roof lined with stone gargoyles that could almost be mistaken for living, breathing creatures.

And Grayson has gone missing.

No one seems to know of his whereabouts but Luc, a devastatingly handsome servant at their new home.

Ingrid is sure her twin isn’t dead—she can feel it deep in her soul—but she knows he’s in grave danger. It will be up to her and Gabby to navigate the twisted path to Grayson, a path that will lead Ingrid on a discovery of dark secrets and otherworldly truths. And she’ll learn that once they are uncovered, they can never again be buried.

Can Tessa pose as Madison . . . and stop a killer before it’s too late?

Tessa is a Variant, able to absorb the DNA of anyone she touches and mimic their appearance. Shunned by her family, she’s spent the last two years training with the Forces with Extraordinary Abilities, a secret branch of the FBI. When a serial killer rocks a small town in Oregon, Tessa is given a mission: she must impersonate Madison, a local teen, to find the killer before he strikes again.

Tessa hates everything about being an impostor—the stress, the danger, the deceit—but loves playing the role of a normal girl. As Madison, she finds friends, romance, and the kind of loving family she’d do anything to keep. Amid action, suspense, and a ticking clock, this super-human comes to a very human conclusion: even a girl who can look like anyone struggles the most with being herself.

What's Next??
Link up your What's Next posts below. Please use a direct link. And be sure to return next week!

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Weekly Roundup (IMM #137) -- ENGINES OF ELEGY

Welcome back! Here's what happened this week - in books and posts:

ELEGY by Amanda Hocking
ENGINES OF THE BROKEN WORLD by Jason Vanhee Thank you Macmillan and St. Martin's Press!Here's what you missed last week:

Monday:
Asma reviewed RUSH by Eve Silver

Tuesday:
Asma posted the releases of June 18th
ASK AGAIN LATER by Liz Czukas - Cover Reveal and Giveaway

Wednesday:
Waiting on Wednesday - THE NETHERGRIM

Thursday:
What's Next? - CREWEL  won
THE PROMISE OF AMAZING by Robin Constantine - Cover Reveal and Giveaway

Friday:
FAKE ID by Lamar Giles - Cover Reveal and ARC Giveaway

Saturday:
Asma posted the next installment in her story

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Giveaway: QUARANTINE: THE LONERS and THE SAINTS by Lex Thomas

Since posting the Quarantine novels in my book haul, I've gotten comments raving on how much everyone NEEDS the second book. I haven't read QUARANTINE: The Loners, but thanks to Egmont USA and MM Publicity, I'll be reading books one and two sooner than I thought.

And YOU can read them too. That's right, Egmont USA and MM Publicity are offering up a hardcover of QUARANTINE: The Saints and a paperback of Quarantine: The Loners to one lucky US/Canada resident.

But first, here's a little bit about the books.

It was just another ordinary day at McKinley High—until a massive explosion devastated the school. When loner David Thorpe tried to help his English teacher to safety, the teacher convulsed and died right in front of him. And that was just the beginning.

A year later, McKinley has descended into chaos. All the students are infected with a virus that makes them deadly to adults. The school is under military quarantine. The teachers are gone. Violent gangs have formed based on high school social cliques. Without a gang, you’re as good as dead. And David has no gang. It’s just him and his little brother, Will, against the whole school.

In this frighteningly dark and captivating novel, Lex Thomas locks readers inside a school where kids don’t fight to be popular, they fight to stay alive.

A cross between the Gone series and Lord of the Flies, Quarantine #2: The Saints contunues this frenetically paced and scary young adult series that illustrates just how deadly high school can be.

Nothing was worse than being locked in—until they opened the door... McKinley High has been a battle ground for eighteen months since a virus outbreak led to a military quarantine of the school. When the doors finally open, Will and Lucy will think their nightmare is finished. But they are gravely mistaken.

As a new group of teens enters the school and gains popularity, Will and Lucy join new gangs. An epic party on the quad full of real food and drinks, where kids hookup and actually interact with members of other gangs seemed to signal a new, easier existence. Soom after though, the world inside McKinley takes a startling turn for the worse, and Will and Lucy will have to fight harder than ever to survive.

The Saints brings readers back to the dark and deadly halls of McKinley High and the QUARANTINE series

Lex Thomas is the pen name for the writing team of Lex Hrabe and Thomas Voorhies. Their first novel, QUARANTINE: THE LONERS, earned a starred review from Booklist, and Huffington Post Books called it "one of the best books that I have ever read."

Lex received a BA in Drama and English from the University of Virginia and has worked as an actor, director and writer. Thomas graduated with a Bachelors of Fine Arts from the Rhode Island School of Design, and now writes, and exhibits his realist oil paintings in Los Angeles.

Lex and Thomas met in a writers' group in Los Angeles. Their friendship developed as they tried to blow each other's minds with clips from bizarre movies. In 2005, they became a screenwriting team, and found that writing with a friend is much more fun than doing it alone.

Purchase THE LONERS and THE SAINTS
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