*BLOG TOUR RELEASE BLITZ* The Artful by: Wilbert Stanton + Giveaway

Synopsis

New York City, 2025: Everything is changed. The city that never sleeps is now a land of death and decay. A rampant virus has taken over and the survivors have become carriers, quarantined from the rest of the world.

Twist and Dodger grew up in the streets, the sewers and underground tunnels – their playground. They aren’t heroes. They just like attention; and stealing meds from the rich and giving them to the poor is their golden ticket.

On their latest raid, they unknowingly steal a cure that puts them square between the ailing Emperor of Manhattan and the war hungry Governor of Brooklyn and forces them on a quest into the darkest shadows of their putrefying world.

Book Trailer

book info & buy links

Title: The Artful (Shadows of the City, #1)

Author: Wilbert Stanton

Genre: YA, Post-Apocalyptic, Dystopian, Sci-Fi

Publisher: Curiosity Quills Press

Release Date: 27th May 2014

 Buy Links

Amazon (US) | Amazon (UK) | B&N | Kobo

About the Author

Wilbert Stanton was born and raised in New York City. From an early age, Wilbert decided he would either write books or take over the world; everything else was just a precursor to his end game. Along the way, he has studied Psychology, English, and Computer Science. He's held jobs in a wide range of fields and met people from all walks of life. Wilbert is constantly learning and growing as a person, in order to solidify his dreams. In the end world domination was a bit tedious, so he decided to focus on writing books.

Connect with Wilbert

Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

good luck,mia

Book Review/Recommendation: Aftertime

Title: Aftertime
Author: Sophie Littlefield
ISBN: 0373803362
Reading Level: Adult
Genre: sci-fi/thriller
Theme: Zombie/post-apocalyptic
Binding: paperback
Length: 384 pgs
Published: 15 February 2011
Buy: amazon.com, bn.com
My Rating:


Synopsis: The world is Gone. Worse, so is her daughter.

Awakening in a bleak landscape as scarred as her body, Cass Dollar vaguely recalls surviving something terrible. Having no idea how many weeks have passed, she slowly realizes the horrifying truth: Ruthie has vanished.

And with her, nearly all of civilization. Where once-lush hills carried cars and commerce, the roads today see only cannibalistic Beaters-- people turned hungry for human flesh by a government experiment gone wrong.

In a broken, barren California, Cass will undergo a harrowing quest to get Ruthie back. Few people trust an outsider, let alone a woman who became a zombie and somehow turned back, but she finds help from an enigmatic outlaw, Smoke. Smoke is her savior and her safety.

For the Beaters are out there. And the humans grip at survival with their trigger fingers. Especially when they learn that she and Ruthie have become the most feared and desired of weapons in a brave new world...


**The following review may contain SPOILERS**


My Review: I'm not sure what is going on with me recently, but it's apparent that I have become obsessed with apocalyptic/post-apocalyptic novels as of late. From Ann Aguirre's Enclave to Daniel H. Wilson's Robopocalypse, I have a pretty vivid picture of what it would be like if vampires or robots took over the world. Now I can add zombies to the list!

So here are a few things I loved about Aftertime. Cass, our protagonist, is more of a relatable character than a likeable one. She is a recovering alcoholic who allowed men to use and abuse her body because of her low self-esteem and lack of self worth. Cass has never really been good at anything except for 2 things-- loving her daughter and surviving. We've all heard stories on the news or read about people getting second chances after experiencing some kind of tragedy. Cass easily falls into this category. It's as if she's been asleep for a really long time and suddenly snaps awake.

Speaking of waking up abruptly, that leads me to another thing I liked about the book. The story doesn't start before the apocalypse or way after. It starts with Cass walking after waking up without any recollection as to where she is or how she got there. But there is one thing she can't deny-- the fact that the "Beaters" (aka zombies) had somehow gotten to her and she survived. The proof was the torn, half eaten skin on her back...and the new growth of skin quickly regenerating. Creepy right? I give Sophie Littlefield a lot of credit for taking a different approach in hooking the attention of her readers.

I also admire the author's zombie mythology. While it may not be wholely unique, there are still a few things that set it apart from zombies in other stories. The zombies or "Beaters" as they are called in Aftertime, only like eating skin. They don't get off on eating body parts or tearing out your internal organs to have a feast. Nope, these guys love skin, hence the reason why Cass's back is torn to shreds when we are first introduced to her. Also, these zombies are not stupid, mindless creatures. Some of them have retained knowledge from their pasts, which is why 1 may try talking while another might try pushing a wheel barrel down the street, etc. While they may try biting you on the spot, they much rather take you back to their "nest" so they can feast on your flesh without being interrupted. Yuck!

Even though this story is about Cass and her grim determination to find her daughter and come to terms with her past, Littlefield brilliantly shows us the deterioration of human society through Cass's journey and the people she meets along the way. From those who rather live in isolation and fend for themselves to the Rebuilders who feed off people's fear in order to rebuild society in the way they see fit, to the junkie camps-- a place for people to trade things in order to get their next fix and rather drown themselves in alcohol and drugs then face reality. And lastly, the religious fanatics.

Let me not forget to mention Smoke. Sexy, mysterious Smoke, the man who helps Cass continue her search for her daughter and stirs something deep within her heart...

Okay so now for my dislikes. I can honestly say that my issues with this book has nothing to do with the author, but whoever was her editor. The editor did a shitty job for several reasons. One is the ungodly long run-on sentences here and there, the major one being on page 102. The sentence goes on for 12 lines and is marked as if it is one big paragraph. Sometimes run-on sentences work, but not in this case.

There are also parts in the book where the author contradicts herself. For example, on page 123, Cass takes her shirt off, looks at her back in the mirror, and comes to the conclusion that the wounds weren't as bad as she expected and that they are healing fast. Then on page 140, Cass acts like she never had looked at herself in the mirror 30 pages before and is completely horrified by what she sees. Another contradition is when Cass and Smoke reach the library where there are other survivors. Smoke is only patted down to make sure he is not carrying any weapons. Cass, on the other hand, is taken into a bathroom by a woman who used to be her friend. There, Cass has to completely strip out of her clothes. Now, I get the trip to the bathroom was so that her friend could have a moment of privacy to tell her important information about Cass's missing daughter. I even get that the author needed a way for Cass's friend to see the scars on her back for a specific plot purpose. However, it makes no sense for Smoke only to be patted down while Cass has to get completely naked in order to prove she has no weapons on her.

While you might think the run-on senstences and contradictions may be the author's fault, I put the blame more on the editor since they are the ones who are supposed to read the book for the sole purpose of correcting errors such as these.

Overall, this was a solid first book in what I believe is going to be a trilogy. The second in the series-- Rebirth-- is already out. So if you are having trouble weeding through the hundreds of zombie themed books in search for something different, Aftertime is definitely worth it.

~Mia~

Book Recommendation: Robopocalypse

They are in your house. They are in your car. They are in the skies…Now they’re coming for you.

In the near future, at a moment no one will notice, all the dazzling technology that runs our world will unite and turn against us. Taking on the persona of a shy human boy, a childlike but massively powerful artificial intelligence known as Archos comes online and assumes control over the global network of machines that regulate everything from transportation to utilities, defense and communication. In the months leading up to this, sporadic glitches are noticed by a handful of unconnected humans – a single mother disconcerted by her daughter’s menacing “smart” toys, a lonely Japanese bachelor who is victimized by his domestic robot companion, an isolated U.S. soldier who witnesses a ‘pacification unit’ go haywire – but most are unaware of the growing rebellion until it is too late.

When the Robot War ignites -- at a moment known later as Zero Hour -- humankind will be both decimated and, possibly, for the first time in history, united. Robopocalypse is a brilliantly conceived action-filled epic, a terrifying story with heart-stopping implications for the real technology all around us…and an entertaining and engaging thriller unlike anything else written in years.

Why I Recommend It:

I'll try to keep this short and sweet. Robopocalypse blew me away. The book does not bore you with drawn out chapters or rigid chronological storytelling. Wilson draws us in by not only splitting up the book into 5 parts but the actual story is like an oral history, told with interviews, 1st and 2nd hand narration, and even what is seen in camera footage. This creates a very fast-paced page turner and will appeal to more than 1 kind of reader.

Is Robopocalypse 100% original? No. Does it pretend it is? No. I see some of the "Terminator" references such as the "Freeborn" robots, and there was even a part that reminded me a little of "Transformers" when some of the bigger robots helped defend Mr. Nomura's "fortress". But what makes this book unique is its storytelling and Daniel H. Wilson is a master at that. In the span of the novel, Wilson introduces us to a wide variety of characters from all walks of life and how each one is effected before and after Zero Hour. From the 17 year old mean spirited kid called "Lurker" in England, to the construction worker and his wife Dawn in NYC, to the soldier Specialist Paul Blanton in Afghanistan, to Lonnie Wayne and the Gray Horse Army in Oklahoma, and so on and so forth--Wilson takes us on an emotional journey, one that is not always comfortable. While the robots we created have taken over the world and is bent on destroying us, once you find out why, you can't help but question the choices mankind has made in the name of science and power-- and the severe consequences of those choices...

Robopocalypse is a MUST read, so pick it up at amazon.com, your local B&N, your local library, or buy & download it to your ebook reader. Oh, and just an FYI, Steven Spielberg has already confirmed that Robopocalypse is one of his next projects to direct and has a tentative release date sometime in 2013.

~~Mia~~

UPDATE: I Am Number Four Movie. What Happened??

Movie Title: I Am Number Four
Director: D.J. Caruso
Actor(s): Alex Petyffer, Timothy Olyphant
Language: English
Subtitles: English (when needed)
Rated: PG-13 (violence, language)
Genre: Sci-Fi, Romance
Run Time: 109 mins
DVD Release Date: n/a
Buy: n/a
My Rating: ***** (3 out of 5 stars)


**The following review/rant may contain spoilers.**


I'm going to try keeping this update/review brief since I already reviewed the book version of I Am Number Four a few posts ago in which this movie is based upon. I'll break it down quite easily. For those people who have not read the book and only plan to watch the movie, you will most likely enjoy it. For the rest of us who have read the book and had high hopes that the film version would be just as good if not better, like I, you will be somewhat disappointed and have a WTF moment or two.

First I will start with the good points. The movie had great special effects, a surprisingly good soundtrack, nicely picked actors that did the book characters justice, and for about half the movie, followed the novel extremely well.

It was only in the last 45 minutes of the film that things fell apart. And again, the following points I mention will be spoilers so you are being forewarned.

1) No training.
In the book, Henri teaches and pushes John to practice his skills once he begins to receive his "legacies" or powers. This goes on for quite a few chapters and is important since it slowly reveals what he is capable of. No such thing happens in the movie. In the beginning we see his hands light up and by the end of the movie...we see his hands light up. Yes yes, I know we see John stop a car and levitate a Mogadorion. But he can do much more which we never get to see.

2) Wrong time to die.
In the book someone dies and it doesn't happen until near the end. In the movie, this person is killed off way before the ending. That was right around the time I began to lose faith in this movie because the timing of that person's death is crucial to other events that are supposed to happen.

3) Time to develop film? WTF!
In the book, John and Sarah go to a party that is being held by her jealous ex-boyfriend Mark. A fire breaks out and John saves Sarah's life, resulting in her finding out who he really is. In the movie, John goes to find Sarah at the party to say goodbye since he now knows that the Mogadorians are literally in town and have picked up his scent. There is no fire, but he does end of saving her life because of another incident at the house, therefore revealing he is not as he seems. John tells her he has to go but she says almost frantically, "John, I need to show you something! Please, come with me right now!" I was thinking maybe she knew a place for him to hide or had to show him a vital piece of information that could help him. But how horribly wrong I was. The next scene is them sneaking into the high school after hours, going into a dark room and...develop photos. Yes, you read that right. The Mogadorians are in town, hunting you down and yet you have time to DEVELOP PHOTOGRAPHS?? Whoever wrote that into the script must be out of their mind.

4) The box.
At that point I was pretty much disgusted. But I think what bothered me the most was the box issue. In the book, Henri has this box that goes with them whenever they move and he makes sure it is well hidden once they are moved in. This box is special because it not only is from their planet Lorien, but it only can be opened a special kind of way and only when John starts to receive his "legacies". The things in this box are intended to help him in his training, to help him make sense of what happened so many years ago to his planet among other things. Once Henri and John realize the Mogadorians are in town, the box travels with them, even during the big show down at the school. In the beginning of the movie, they make a big deal to show the box and how Henri hides it once they move into their new home. You don't see the box again until right before the credits roll at the end. WTF. Oh and did I forget to mention that inside the box is a healing stone that also plays an important role towards the end of the book but never is explored in the movie?

I gave this movie a 3 out of 5 stars because I figured out the issue. It's not the directing, or the special effects, or the acting-- all expectations were met in those departments. What failed miserably was the script. It's almost like the writer fell asleep and missed a few points but those few points just so happened to be the most IMPORTANT.

I guess I will just have to be satisfied with the upcoming sequel of I Am Number Four called The Power of Six which will be released in August '11.

~~Mia~~

Book (soon-to-be movie) Review: I Am Number Four

Title: I Am Number Four
Author: Pittacus Lore
ISBN: 978-0061969553
Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: Sci-Fi
Theme: Aliens
Binding: Hardcover
Length: 448 pgs
Published: 3 Agust 2010
Buy: amazon.com, bn.com, borders.com
My Rating:

Synopsis: Nine of us came here. We look like you. We talk like you. We live among you. But we are not you. We can do things you dream of doing. We have powers you dream of having. We are stronger and faster than anything you have ever seen. We are the superheroes you worship in movies and comic books—but we are real.

Our plan was to grow, and train, and become strong, and become one, and fight them. But they found us and started hunting us first. Now all of us are running. Spending our lives in shadows, in places where no one would look, blending in. we have lived among you without you knowing.

But they know.

They caught Number One in Malaysia.
Number Two in England.
And Number Three in Kenya.
They killed them all.

I am Number Four.

I am next.

**The following review may contain SPOILERS**


My Review: I Am Number Four has to be my favorite novel so far this year. I think the last time I was this excited over a book is when I came across Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles 2 years ago. Many of you may think it's weird that I sometimes start my posts with HOW I discovered a book or movie rather than just focusing on the review itself. However, I think it is important for me to remember these little details because I've noticed a pattern. Most of the time I come across books or movies by accident or sometimes coincidence. When this happens, especially when it is young adult literature, I feel like it's put in my path for a reason. I teach and am around teenagers all the time so maybe I'm supposed to use these books as a way to promote reading. And as Eric Draven says in The Crow, "The little things used to mean so much to Shelley-- I used to think they were kind of trivial. Believe me, nothing is trivial." I most definitely agree.

Okay so I was on IMDB.com (Internet Movie Data Base) checking out actor Timothy Olyphant's filmography since I like to keep up on his current projects (another one of my favorite actors!). I noticed that he was playing a character named Henri in the movie I Am Number Four which is in post production. The title of the film intrigued me so I started to do a little research. I soon came to realize that the movie is based on a young adult novel of the same name that was just published in August 2010. What intrigued me even more was the fact that Michael Bay (director of Transformers) and Steven Spielberg are 2 of the producers of the soon-to-be film. After reading the movie blurb and checking out the teaser trailer, I was hooked. I ended up calling Barnes & Noble that day to put the book on hold until I got there.

I finished the book within a week. I had to purposely slow down so that I didn't inhale the novel in one sitting. So why is it so good? Who gives a crap about 9 alien children from the planet Lorien? First of all, the book itself is shrowded in mystery before you even open it. The author says he is Pittacus Lore, a 10,000 year old alien. Hmm what an interesting pseudonym. The story is fresh and original with its own mythology--I'll make a comment about that later.

What I think the author did well and why I think this book will appeal to a wide variety of readers is how it pulls you in. The first 10 chapters or so are short and sweet, ranging from 3 to 4 pages long. This can be very deceptive and I fell into the trap quite easily. I'd read a chapter which would end on a mini cliffhanger and think to myself, eh I will just read the next chapter since it is only a few pages more. Next thing I know it's 1am and I just finished reading 4 more chapters!

When I first started talking to my students about the book, I would bring my copy of I Am Number Four in. I didn't realize I was actually intimidating the reluctant reader! While I had captivated them with the storyline and movie trailer, I intimidated them by waving around this thick 400+ page book! Once I caught on, I tried to reassure them that the first 10-15 chapters are short and addictive. The author has the ability to draw the reader into the story so that it's not only hard to put the book down but by the time you reach towards the end where the chunky chapters are, you're dying to know how it ends. The reader is ready for the big showdown between Number Four and the Mogadorians!


Even though the story is being told in Number Four's perspective, the author does a great job with creating and building on characters that we come to truly care about. One particular character that stuck out through the story was Bernie Koshar. I will say no more and allow you to figure out why for yourselves :)


If I had to find a negative in the story it would be about the showdown at the school. I don't want to give too many details away or ruin the ending but I questioned how realistic the battle scene was. What I mean is, this was not simply a fist fight between Number Four and the enemy. The fight was literally like a battle with alien weapons, etc. My point is, with all the explosions and fire in, around, and near the school, wouldn't the authorities hear or see it? I know that the town is very small, but come on! Someone must hear the noise that is being made!


Back to the mythology of the book. This isn't really a negative thing but the only comment I wish to make is that I want more. Since this is the first book in the series, I am going to assume that the author was just getting started and that he will give us more in future novels.


As I mentioned before, the movie version of this book will be in theaters in Febuary. Even though only a teaser trailer has been released, I have a feeling the movie will follow the book closely since I already recognized several scenes from the clip released.

A Sci-fi thriller mixed in with a little romance, suspense, mythology, teen drama-- I know I am forgetting something. But what more could you ask for?!

~~~
Mia

Movie Recommendation: INCEPTION!

While I know I am an educated, intelligent young woman-- I am also smart enough to know when to just leave things alone. The point I am trying to make is this-- rather then me make an ass out of myself by rambling on about how freakin' amazing this movie is/was, I am just going to tell you all one thing-- GO SEE INCEPTION. Holy BLEEP! Finally a movie worth seeing this summer (I still love you Twilight Saga: Eclipse!) Inception is original, mind-blowing, and constantly has you on the edge of your seat. LITERALLY! Totally not joking, people. I wouldn't be able to give this movie a proper review, so if anyone wants to get an idea what they are getting into, the current Entertainment Weekly magazine has a great break-down of the movie, interview with the Director (Christopher Nolan of Memento and The Dark Knight fame), and even gives you some insight on how the hell they actually did some of the crazy intense action scenes!


Okay, I am done. Go see it. Right now. No not later, I said RIGHT NOW. Oh, and see it at least twice. Yes, it is THAT good!

Peace out!

Mia


P.S. Damn, I guess I did still ramble on about how awesome Inception was, huh? >=)~