In 2083, chocolate and coffee are illegal, paper is hard to find, water is carefully rationed, and New York City is rife with crime and poverty. And yet, for Anya Balanchine, the sixteen-year-old daughter of the city’s most notorious (and dead) crime boss, life is fairly routine. It consists of going to school, taking care of her siblings and her dying grandmother, trying to avoid falling in love with the new assistant D.A.’s son, and avoiding her loser ex-boyfriend. That is until her ex is accidentally poisoned by the chocolate her family manufactures and the police think she’s to blame. Suddenly, Anya finds herself thrust unwillingly into the spotlight–at school, in the news, and most importantly, within her mafia family.

Set in New York City, in the near future, the world is much different in 2083. Hello, chocolate is illegal! Books are extremely rare and people who have them are thought to be wealthy and perhaps a bit strange. Both of these things would drive me a bit crazy, to be honest.

All These Things I’ve Done doesn’t focus so much on the government as most dystopian novels do. Instead it focuses more on the crime aspect. The main character’s deceased father was the leader of the mafia, dealing in chocolate-both legally and illegally. It was fascinating to see inside of the Family/crime world.

Poor Anya! Her parents were both killed, her older brother has health issues, her grandmother is hooked up to machines that are supposed to make her live just long enough for Anya to become the legal guardian of her sister. At 16, Anya takes care of everyone in her household and tries to keep their noses clean with the rest of the Family’s crime business. Anya is one of the most level-headed and realistic teen girls in the genre that I’ve read. Sure, she thinks the new boy is cute, but she knows her family comes before romance.

There are a few references to the present time that kept me entertained. Such as the characters wondering what “OMG” was slang for, references to a “sandal wearing statue” (Statue of Liberty), and, as previously mentioned, chocolate being bad (and worse than alcohol).

As a lover of dystopian books, All These Things I’ve Done doesn’t disappoint at all. I cannot wait to read more from Gabrielle Zevin. If dystopian books aren’t your usual fare, this one may still appeal to you, because it’s definitely original and not your typical the-government-is-corrupt book.

I received my copy from the publishers in exchange for my honest opinion.

“Eighteen years ago, a rogue Army doctor secretly experimented with a chromosomal drug on unknowing pregnant women. When he was killed not long after the children were born, any knowledge and evidence seemed to die with him – except the living, breathing, human products of his work.

Almost two decades later, the newly self-proclaimed “open-book” military unearths the truth about the experiment, bringing Clio Kaid and the other affected teens to a state-of-the-art, isolated campus where they soon discover that C9x did indeed alter their chromosomes, its mutations presenting as super-human abilities. The military kids, who come from across the nation and all walks of life, come into their own as lighter-than-air ‘athletes’; ‘indies’ as solid as stone walls; teens who can make themselves invisible and others who can blind with their brilliance.

As Clio comes into her remarkable ability, embraces new friendships and embarks on first love, she also can’t shake the suspicion that the government has not been as forthcoming with their attentions as they claimed…”

I was a bit cautious about reading this book, but it was definitely an original one. It hooked me early on, I started reading at night and read until I couldn’t keep my eyes open then as soon as I woke up began reading again.

The story itself, I could see happening with the way technology has taken a turn there is tons of various genetic altering so why not one that creates special powers? The mix-matched group of friends are the sort of friends I’d like to have. From sweethearted Bliss to annoying (but with a good heart..maybe) Miranda to the loveable Jack and Garrett. The love aspect happened gradually, much to my excitement.

My only real complaint was the book felt a bit slow at times, but I felt like it was probably needed to build this world for future books in the series. I personally can’t wait to get my hands on the sequel to see what happens next to Clio and her friends.

The sequel to Solid called Settling will be released in just a few days!

Solid was provided for me by the author in exchange for my honest review.

This review contain spoilers for Solid, book one in the series by Shelley Workinger. (Review for Solid) If you haven’t read the first book you may want to take this into consideration.

At the beginning of the summer, Clio Kaid was one of a hundred teens brought to a secret Army installation. But it was no ordinary camp and they weren’t ordinary kids…

Picking up where “Solid” left off, Clio and her friends realize that they aren’t ready to go home; they’re determined to stay on campus and continue their journey of self- discovery. But someone doesn’t feel the same way and will do anything to drive them away – even kill.

Friendships will be tested, abilities will evolve, and more secrets will come out as the teens race to stop the killer before he sets his sights on one of them…

In Solid, military kids were brought to a base in order to see if they had any special abilities, because a scientist had altered their chromosomes. Settling follows up with the gang all taking on “jobs” to help continue running operation smoothly.

Most of the gang is back and things are settling down nicely. Clio is happily with Jack. Everyone is stressed out a bit at first, but things are getting better. Then someone shows up dead, because of the security measures being taken, they know it’s someone from the camp and it could be anyone. The added stress of “Who-dun-it” begins to wreck a bit of havoc, as more and more things start happening.

Clio took more of front-and-center in Settling. I would have loved to have seen more from some of the side characters who I grew to love in Solid. I’m hoping the next book will visit with them a bit more! There are also a few new characters, who I can’t wait to learn more about.

If you haven’t picked up Solid, I urge you to do so. I preferred it of the two, but Settling continued the story nicely.

I received my copy from the author in exchange for my honest opinion.

“After an unexpected transfer to the States for her senior year, Suranne’s new friends give her just one instruction: stay away from Kane Richards. According to everyone, he’s a heartless playboy concerned only for himself. With one glance, it’s easy to see why he gets away with it. But things aren’t always what they seem- especially when he sets his sights on her and whispers that she’s different. Despite all the red flags, Suranne considers whether or not his intentions are genuine or if she’s simply another name on his list. In the process, she may just uncover the real Kane Richards. But, when it comes down to it, the real Kane Richards may not want to be found. Filled with raw emotion, Kane Richards Must Die explores relationships, trust, love, and what can happen when life takes an unexpected turn.”

From the book’s title, I imagined a book similar to the movie John Tucker Must Die. This book is so much more than that, it’s actually a heartfelt story about a guy who does sleep around with…everyone, but there’s something else. It’s a really quick read; I managed to read it one night I wasn’t feeling well and didn’t feel like getting out of bed.

Kane Richards easily makes it as one of my favorite literary guys, not because he’s hot (and he is!), but because he’s so well-developed. He has a cocky attitude and knows he’s the hottest boy, but he also has an amazing vulnerability that isn’t often seen in male characters. His backstory is heartbreaking and seriously makes this book so much more. At times he’s seriously a jerk, but you are given a peek into his actions, and reasoning in the chapters told from his POV.

I feel for Suranne, she’s drawn to the school’s most popular guy, the one all her friends have warned her about because of his reputation, and she’s seen it with her own eyes. Yet he shows her small parts (and, as the story goes on, bigger parts) of his real self, so she knows there is good there too. Her friends Kate and Lawrence annoyed me with how they treated her as the story progressed.

This story is surprisingly deep and emotional. It’s definitely a book to keep your eyes open; I plan on recommending it to my friends & family.

Caution: There are a lot of sex scenes and some cursing, so take that into consideration.

Sixteen-year-old Addison Blakely has tireless played the role of PK—preacher’s kid—her entire life. But after Wes Keegan revs his motorcycle into town and into her heart, Addison begins to wonder how much of her faith is her own and how much has been handed to her. She isn’t so sure she wants to be the good girl anymore. Join Addison Blakely as she attempts to separate love from lust, facts from faith, and keep her head above water in her murky, fishbowl existence.

You know those feel-good titles that we all sometimes crave? That’s Addison Blakey: Confessions of a PK. Despite the title and exploration of Addison’s faith, which does play a big role, it isn’t a “preachy” book by any means. Instead, it’s a heartfelt story exploring Addison’s growth. Yes, her growth revolves around her faith and God, but it’s the sort of book that can likely be applied to most teens’ lives.

Addison struggles with wanting to stand out and be her own person, just like in any other great coming-of-age novel. She has always seen the world in very black-or-white terms, good or bad, with no in-between. She’s had a falling out with her best friend, and she’s stressed and kind of lost. Enter Wes, the new boy who is cute and oh-so-confusing, like most guys. Then there’s Marta, the new foreign exchange student who helps introduce Addison to a world outside her own “world.”

All in all, Addison Blakely is a bit cliche and predictable. The typical good girl falls for the leather-clad boy on a motorcycle, but it’s such a great story that I couldn’t help but be enthralled.

A little warning: There are references to teen drinking, peer pressure, eating disorders, sex, and obviously religion. They are all done in a pretty subtle way, but in true LIO fashion, I wanted to acknowledge them.

I received Addison Blakely: Confessions of a PK in exchange for my honest opinion from the publisher.

I signed up for Spring Blog Carnival earlier today, which will be from May 1st-8th.

And here’s another quick review today.

“Becca Wilkinson is an average teenager trying to make it out of high school in one piece. She’s a nobody, only infamous because of the devastating car crash she caused a year ago. But as increasingly bizarre things start happening all around her and a mysterious stranger shows up claiming they want to help, Becca learns that high school is the least of her problems-and. She’s anything but average.”

I received this as a review copy from Patricia, but as always, the opinion is completely my own.

Sci-fi is usually a category I shy away from, which is funny because I seem to thoroughly enjoy every sci-fi book I pick up.  This one was not an exception.  The story was very well-written and enjoyable.  It’s the first in a trilogy; I’ll be counting down the days until May when the second book comes out, so I can see what happens next!

It’s currently only available as an ebook; check it out at Smashwords