Blog Tour: Book Review: Sneak (Swipe #2) by Evan Angler

Today, Edwin and Emily are happy to be a part of the Sneak Blog Tour

hosted by YA Bound.

Find the other tour stops here.

Sneak (Swipe #2) by Evan Angler

The blurb as seen on Goodreads:
Release Date: September 4, 2012
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
288 Pages

When Logan Langly backed out of getting the Mark and went on the run, no one thought he could survive on his own. Without the Mark, you can't buy food, bot to the doctor, or use a tablet-you aren't even a citizen.
But when he discovers that his sister is being held in a mysterious hidden prison named Acheron, Logan risks everything to travel through and underground network of the Markless to rescue her.
Logan arrives only to find that Acheron holds more secrets than anyone could have guessed and that all his careful planning is worthless against a government that will do anything to gain absolute control. It seems there is only one place to turn.
But can a banned book with whisper-this pages and warnings about the real meaning of the Mark really hold the Answer?

VISIT THE AUTHOR:

Goodreads.Twitter.Website.Facebook

FIND THE BOOK:

Goodreads.Amazon.Barnes & Noble

Review:

*THIS REVIEW HAS SPOILERS ABOUT THE FIRST BOOK IN THE SERIES*

Boy, does Mr. Angler know how to start a book! I was creeped out from the prologue alone. Sneak is absolutely thrilling. While I was reading it, I was terrified to continue, but too hooked to stop! Everything about it drew me in and I was sad when I had to put it down to do something else. Then when I finished it, I was left in utter shock. This book, no, this series is epic.

Logan, the Dust gang and DOME are back in the second novel of the Swipe series. Logan's on the run from DOME, but now he's got a lead. Lily's alive and she's in Beacon. He's determined to find her, but he can't do it alone. Hailey, Dane, Peck and the members of Dust are going to help him, even if at first, they're reluctant to do so. As they race to save Lily, will they lose others they care about in the process? What you read will make your jaw drop.

The characters, both old and new, will keep you on your toes. It's hard figure out which Logan can trust and which we should hide from. I, more than once, trusted the wrong people. Mr. Angler surprised me at every turn! I can admit to repeatedly voicing my hatred of Erin as the story progressed. What a horrid girl. I thought I liked her after the first book, but after the first forty percent of Sneak, I wanted to kick her in the dirt. Her motives are still a bit hazy, but she really does care about Logan. Seeing what happens with her relationship with him will be very interesting! Logan is a great character. He's strong-willed and a really great kid that just wants his sister back. The readers will sympathize with him and cheer him on as he embarks on a daring adventure that could lead to his death.

The plot was crazy original and crazy awesome and just plain crazy. This is a great novel for middle grade students. It's a bit hard to keep up with, so I don't recommend it for younger readers, but if you really pay attention, it's a great book! There haven't been any details released about book three, besides the author posting that he finished writing it, but saying I'm excited to read it is an understatement! The author can do so much with the story and having read both Swipe and Sneak, I know he will do the series justice!

I received a free e-copy of this novel from the publisher for a blog tour in exchange for my honest review.

Desperately Wanting Wednesday (6)

Desperately Wanting Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Rachel at Parajunkee's View. Unlike "Waiting On Wednesday" the meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, you can talk about books that you want that have already been released, but you haven't had a chance to read.

This week's theme is:
Books That Are Sitting On My Shelf But I Can't Get To Yet

Our Released Pick:

The blurb as seen on Goodreads:
Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma
Release Date: June 18, 2011
Publisher: Simon Pulse
454 Pages

Seventeen-year-old Lochan and sixteen-year-old Maya have always felt more like friends than siblings. Together they have stepped in for their alcoholic, wayward mother to take care of their three younger siblings. As defacto parents to the little ones, Lochan and Maya have had to grow up fast. And the stress of their lives--and the way they understand each other so completely--has also also brought them closer than two siblings would ordinarily be. So close, in fact, that they have fallen in love. Their clandestine romance quickly blooms into deep, desperate love. They know their relationship is wrong and cannot possibly continue. And yet, they cannot stop what feels so incredibly right. As the novel careens toward an explosive and shocking finale, only one thing is certain: a love this devastating has no happy ending.

I have been dying to read this since I heard of it. I was lucky enough to get a copy of it from a friend. This needs to bump up on my list! So many books to read, so little time!

Our To-Be-Released Pick:

The blurb as seen on Goodreads:

Sneak (Swipe #2) by Evan Angler

Release Date: September 4, 2012

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

288 Pages

In a future United States under the power of a charismatic leader, everyone gets the Mark at age thirteen. The Mark lets citizen shop, go to school, and even get medical care-but without it, you are on your own. Few refuse to get the Mark. Those who do . . . disappear.

Logan Langly went in to get his Mark, but he backed out at the last minute. Now he’s on the run from government agents who will stop at nothing to capture him. But Logan is on a mission to find and save his sister, Lily, who disappeared five years ago on her thirteenth birthday, the day she was supposed to receive her Mark.

Logan and his friends, a group of dissenters called the Dust, discover a vast network of the Unmarked, who help them travel safely to the capital city where Lily is imprisoned. Along the way, the Dust receives some startling information from the Markless community, opening their eyes to the message of Christianity and warning that humanity is now entering the End of Days.

When the Dust finally arrives in the capital, it seems that all their careful planning is useless against a government that will do anything to bend its citizens to its will. Can the gentle words Logan has found in a tattered, banned Bible really stand against the most powerful military the world has ever known? Can Logan even sacrifice his own freedom, choosing to act through faith alone?

I adored the first book in this series. Sneak was on Netgalley and with how much I loved book one, Swipe, I knew I had to take advantage and grab a copy of this one, too! I can't wait to read it. This story is so interesting and I can't wait to see where the author takes us next.

Giveaway Winner

Ed and I hosted a giveaway of Swipe (Swipe #1) by Evan Angler hosted by YA Bound.

The winner chosen by Rafflecopter via random.org was:

books4me!

Blog Tour: Book Review & Giveaway: Swipe (Swipe #1) by Evan Angler

Today, Emily is happy to be a part of the Swipe Blog Tour

hosted by YA Bound.

Find the other tour stops here.

Swipe (Swipe #1) by Evan Angler

The blurb as seen on Goodreads:
Release Date: May 1, 2012
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
275 Pages

Everyone gets the Mark. It gives all the benefits of citizenship. Yet if getting the Mark is such a good thing, then why does it feel so wrong?

Set in a future North America that is struggling to recover after famine and global war, Swipe follows the lives of three kids caught in the middle of a conflict they didn’t even know existed. United under a charismatic leader, every citizen of the American Union is required to get the Mark on their 13th birthday in order to gain the benefits of citizenship. 

The Mark is a tattoo that must be swiped by special scanners for everything from employment to transportation to shopping. It’s almost Logan Langly’s 13th birthday and he knows he should be excited about getting the Mark, but he hasn’t been able to shake the feeling he’s being watched. Not since his sister went to get her Mark five years ago . . . and never came back. 

When Logan and his friends discover the truth behind the Mark, will they ever be able to go back to being normal teenagers? Find out in the first book of this exciting series that is Left Behind meets Matched for middle-grade readers.

VISIT THE AUTHOR:

Goodreads.Twitter.Website.Facebook

FIND THE BOOK:

Goodreads.Amazon.Barnes & Noble

Review:

SWIPE is an edgy, middle grade novel that will thrill you long after the book ends!

This book was intennnnse. Seriously. I couldn't stop reading it because the intensity of the plot just drew me in. The complexity of this story kept my interest all the way through!

It wasn't the perfect book. It had its faults, but it was very, very good. Though it really seemed to be for the wrong age group. I'll admit that I had to use the dictionary for a few words that were used in the story. (I'm embarrassed.) As I read this, it was fast-paced and a bit hard for me to understand. Like what is a mark? What is it really supposed to do? Maybe I missed that part, but for me, it was never answered.

In this futuristic world that Mr. Angler has created, the United States are no longer the United States and the government is no longer a democracy. The country has been renamed the "American Union" and is now ruled under the Parliament. I am actually very curious about whether there are actually cities called Spokie and Beacon today. It wouldn't surprise me if the author had come up with them for the sake of the story.

Mr. Angler depicts the society in which the story resides is based around technology. Everyone has a tablet, no one reads real books (I almost cried) and there are such things as hovercrafts and surveillance powder. There were quite a few things that didn't make sense to me about it. Like I still don't understand what the "Mark" is, or why it is so important. And how do people die from trying to get the Mark? I was confused on some of the specifics, but still very intrigued.

I liked Logan. He's sharp, smart and always wants to believe the best in people. I think that makes him a strong young man. He cares about people and doesn't prejudice against anyone. He feels sorry for the Markless and wants to help them. He doesn't spit curses at them or come up with crude names to hurt them unlike some of the other characters. Erin was okay. She definitely pulled off the angsty teenage girl part well. She was annoying at times, though. And her at the end? Let's just say, she better hope we don't meet in a dark alley. Dane… I really liked Dane at first, but as the story went on, I wanted to punch him more often than not. It was that way for a few of the characters. 

The twists in this book are what really make it different. Honestly, I only saw two of them coming. And there are more than too. Mr. Angler weaves a tale full of mystery and adventure. It was one that I won't soon forget!

Plus I found a lot of funnies in this one! Especially between the younger members of the Dust.

My reaction at the ending: ARE YOU KIDDING ME? WHY DO YOU DO THIS TO ME? THIS CAN'T BE THE END! CURSE YOU ALLLLL! A;DKGANGAFDKGLNALDKFNGAODFIGHAADF But in the very best way, of course. Thank God this is a series (though I'm at the same time thinking: another series, whyyy)! I will most definitely be reading book two, SNEAK! Bravo, Mr. Angler on a wonderful debut!

Just an FYI: Book Two, SNEAK will be released in September of this year! So the wait won't be too long! (Thank goodness!) 

I received a free e-copy of this novel from the publisher for a blog tour in exchange for my honest review.

Giveaway Details:

1 Winner will recieve a paperback copy of Swipe by Evan Angler

Open to US/CA

Ends 3/20/2012

a Rafflecopter giveaway