Fierce Reads Event Recap & Giveaway

Even though I attended the Fierce Reads signing a week ago I am still on cloud nine!!  This was my first official book signing and I see a lot more in my future.  It was so much fun!  This tour included Marissa Meyer, Lish McBride, Elizabeth Fama, and Ann Aguirre.  Okay I have a booknerd confession to make.  I am always early no matter where I go and well this was no exception lol.  I wanted to make sure I got a seat in the front row so I ...*giggles* got to the signing 2 hours before it was supposed to start and staked my claim right smack dab in the middle of the front row.  Yes yes I have a problem lol!  In my defense though since I was so early I was the only one there when the authors arrived so I had a good 45 minutes with them by myself SQUEE!!  I totally geeked out when Elizabeth Fama asked to see my Nook!  I have the back of my Nook cover all signed and she thought it was neat hehe.  I am still bouncing lol!  Okay enough about me and my booknerd self, here are a few key points from the signing...


Ann Aguirre:
-She LOVES Zombies!
-She wrote Encalve because her publists wanted to jump into the YA market.
-She is writing a YA contemporay for her daughter..aww!!
-She is hilarious!!  She acted out a movie trailer for us and it was the funniest thing ever!  Yes it was about zombies lol.
Elizabeth Fama:
-One of the sweetest authors I have ever met.
-She is writing a new book about two societies and only one of them can be active at a time so there is a day society and a night society.  Okay I am not explaining this very well sorry!  It sounds amazing when she describes it and I cannot wait to read it!
-She wrote Monstrous Beauty with the help of her children on a dare.

Lish McBride:
-This woman is awesome!
-She wrote Hold Me Closer, Necromancer for her Masters thesis and held to her guns when her professors tried to make her change her book.  I am so glad that she didn't back down!
-She has two new books planned that will have Eva as the main character and they are set in the same world as her previous books, but they are on the East coast.  At some point she hopes to have Eva and Sam meet up.  Yay!  I love this idea!!
-Her pink hair rocks!!
Marissa Meyer:
-Oh how I love this woman!
-She used to write fanfiction for Sailor Moon.
-She does not have a fierce face only a smile =)
-Here Lunar Chronicles series will feature Little Red Riding Hood in Scarlet and then we will see Rapunzel and Snow White in the following two books.  I cannot wait!!


I loved this panel!  It was so much fun and all we did was laugh the entire time!  While I was there I managed to get Ann Aguirre to sign both books in her YA series, Enclave and Outpost so that I could give them away to one lucky follower.  I have included my roomies review of Enclave and my review of Outpost so you can see just how awesome these books are.  So take a peek below to learn more about this series and don't forget to fill out the raffelcopter form for a chance to win both books!


Enclave by Ann Aguirre
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Release Date:April 12, 2012

In Deuce’s world, people earn the right to a name only if they survive their first fifteen years. By that point, each unnamed ‘brat’ has trained into one of three groups–Breeders, Builders, or Hunters, identifiable by the number of scars they bear on their arms. Deuce has wanted to be a Huntress for as long as she can remember.

As a Huntress, her purpose is clear—to brave the dangerous tunnels outside the enclave and bring back meat to feed the group while evading ferocious monsters known as Freaks. She’s worked toward this goal her whole life, and nothing’s going to stop her, not even a beautiful, brooding Hunter named Fade. When the mysterious boy becomes her partner, Deuce’s troubles are just beginning.

Down below, deviation from the rules is punished swiftly and harshly, and Fade doesn’t like following orders. At first Deuce thinks he’s crazy, but as death stalks their sanctuary, and it becomes clear the elders don’t always know best, Deuce wonders if Fade might be telling the truth. Her partner confuses her; she’s never known a boy like him before, as prone to touching her gently as using his knives with feral grace.

As Deuce’s perception shifts, so does the balance in the constant battle for survival. The mindless Freaks, once considered a threat only due to their sheer numbers, show signs of cunning and strategy… but the elders refuse to heed any warnings. Despite imminent disaster, the enclave puts their faith in strictures and sacrifice instead. No matter how she tries, Deuce cannot stem the dark tide that carries her far from the only world she’s ever known.

Arlene's thoughts:
This post-apocalyptic novel has all of the right elements to be a hit for dystopia fans. Its constant building tension and clever twists provide a fast-paced action adventure that includes a gritty backdrop, flesh eating zombies, and a pack of wolf gangsters. What else can you ask for when looking for an intense survival story? Oh yes! Don’t forget a cast that includes a fierce and loyal heroine, and her deadly and cunning partner. Now that’s entertainment!

In Deuce’s world, you have to earn the right to a name and a position in the underground society. Every aspect of life is controlled down to the role you play in the Enclave. Deuce has spent years training as a huntress that will keep her society safe from the flesh eating Freaks. When eventually paired with Fade, they forge a deadly pact that fights against the Freaks and hunts for the Enclave. As a continual show of power, the Enclave elite plants evidence among its inhabitants in order to frame a member of their society as a hard lesson of who owns the power. Deuce and Fade step forward to protect an innocent victim, and are punished with banishment from the underground and the only home Deuce has ever known. When she goes topside with Fade, the ruins and gangs are a force that will require each other’s combined strength and loyalty to survive.

There were a couple of elements I had a smidge of a tough time wrapping my arms around. For example, the whole concept of hording was a bit weak for me to grasp as a true offense in the underground. Also, I thought there were other ways to control the population besides forbidding “non-breeders” physical contact of any kind. Both a bit extreme, but I’m not here to argue with Aguirre’s world-building. She set the rules and consistently stuck by them. What I did have a tough time breezing past was the violence against one of the characters. I don’t find violence towards women entertaining in any form or fashion. I tend to remove myself from the story, which luckily was hard to do completely because the book did a good job of keeping my attention.

In addition, I think listening to the audio version really played a part in my enjoyment of most of this story. The narrator was effective and powerful throughout.

Overall, I enjoyed most of the story and I’m curious where Deuce and Fade’s story leads topside. Well done!

3.5 Snowflakes

 

Outpost by Ann Aguirre
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Release date: Spet 4, 2012

Deuce’s whole world has changed. Down below, she was considered an adult. Now, topside in a town called Salvation, she’s a brat in need of training in the eyes of the townsfolk. She doesn’t fit in with the other girls: Deuce only knows how to fight.

To make matters worse, her Hunter partner, Fade, keeps Deuce at a distance. Her feelings for Fade haven’t changed, but he seems not to want her around anymore. Confused and lonely, she starts looking for a way out.

Deuce signs up to serve in the summer patrols—those who make sure the planters can work the fields without danger. It should be routine, but things have been changing on the surface, just as they did below ground. The Freaks have grown smarter. They’re watching. Waiting. Planning. The monsters don’t intend to let Salvation survive, and it may take a girl like Deuce to turn back the tide.

My thoughts
Wow this book has definitely left an impression on me.  After reading and loving Enclave, I was so excited to get my hands on the second installment of this series, and it definitely delivered in more ways than one! Outpost provided a high energy, fast paced, thriller that I’ve come to expect from Ann Aguirre.

Outpost picks up where Enclave left off, taking us into the Salvation compound that rescued Deuce and her friends. Here they begin to try and adapt to this new life and community of survivors.  Unfortunately, Deuce isn't fitting in very well because she is a Huntress at heart and can't understand why she is being kept from her duties.  Women in Salvation are not meant to hunt the creatures of the night, the Freaks, and having grown up knowing that is all she has ever wanted to do Deuce finds herself getting in trouble for trying to just be herself.  How can you hide what you  truly are?  Adding to that - Fade, her once go to guy, has been avoiding her and she hasn't a clue as to why.  The only person she can turn to is Stalker.  Things develop in a way I never expected to see and I’m curious to see what happens next.

I have to give Ms. Aguirre major credit for her world building. It is absolutely incredible.  I am completely blown away by how solid her world continues to evolve throughout the story.  During the signing she explained how she came up with this idea and she told us that she always wondered what would happen to the people in the subway of the world fell apart.  I surely hope that her idea never comes to fruition because it is truly terrifying and the scariest part is that it is so believable.  I also enjoyed meeting up with the characters once again.  Sometimes when we read sequels, I usually end up not liking the ones I liked in the beginning but my feelings stayed faithful, and I am still a fan of Deuce and her gang. I even felt myself giving in to a certain someone who shall remain nameless.

This book was a great addition to an amazing series.  I am eager to see what Ann Aguirre delivers next!

4 Snowflakes

And now what I know you all have been waiting for the giveaway!  All you have to do is fill out the Raffelcopter form below!  Good luck everyone!

a Rafflecopter giveaway