A Dream Within A Dream: I Am Alive Blog Tour: Review & Giveaway

I Am Alive (I Am Alive #1)
Author: Cameron Jace
Genre: YA Dystopian
Release: May 23, 2012 (starting 12/1/2012 this is a newly professionally edited version)

Book Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NqKodqcpiOA&feature=player_embedded

Buy Link: Amazon

Description:

Every girl dies - not every girl really lives.

Sixteen-year-old Decca Tenderstone feels captivated when she meets Leo, who is arrogant, silent, beautiful, and shoots almost every one he meets.

the usual boring girl meets badboy story... hmm... with a twist ...

They live in a dystopian future in Los Angeles where every sixteen-year-old is ranked on a scale from one to ten to determine their future. Outranks, who are considered a danger to society, are forced to attend the Monster Show, a brutal sacrificing ritual that is broadcasted worldwide on live TV, where rebellious teens are labelled Bad Kidz or Monsters and get to fight for their lives in deadly games.

To prove that you're still alive you have to scream I Am Alive every six hours. Lower your voice, and you're dead.

Decca doesn't need Leo's company. She has secrets of her own. While they both can't stand each other, she will find out why she doesn't fit into any rank.

Nothing will stand in her way as she has to make choices concerning love, life, staying alive, growing up, and finding out who she really is.

I Am Alive is the first book in a young adult dystopian series that follows leading lady, Decca Tenderstone, as she navigates the futuristic and deadly Los Angeles - a place where teens are now ranked on a scale of one to ten in order to determine their future. When the unbelievable happens - Decca is deemed an Outrank - she must participate in the Monster Show, where a broadcasted sacrificial ritual occurs on live TV. The teens who must participate in the show are labelled as Monsters or Bad Kidz and then have to fight each other to survive. Every six hours, you must scream I AM ALIVE. If you don't do it - or don't scream loud enough - you die. Decca must hurriedly learn why she wasn't placed in the ranks and Leo - the beautiful yet cocky guy she's stuck with - is only causing her problems.

This was an interesting book that definitely had lots of deeper themes below the dystopian surface. It dealt with heavy topics like finding yourself, love, life versus living, and believing in yourself and others. The characters were somewhat unique, although mostly stereotypical. The relationship between Decca and Leo was predictable, although I did enjoy their interactions with each other. The plot was intriguing, but the dystopian world full of teenage death via savage games for entertainment wasn't anything super original. The writing was solid and had a great pace throughout the book. The ending left some questions unanswered, which will serve as a great jumping off point for the next installment. Overall, this was a good book and fans of YA science fiction/dystopian fiction will enjoy.

Wonderlander, Neverlander, Unicorn-chaser, enchanter, musician, survived a coma, & totally awesome. Sometimes I tell stories. Always luv the little monsters. I write young adult paranormal romance, urban fantasy, and science fiction mostly. The Grimm Diaries series is a seven book saga that deals with retellings of fairy tales from a young adult POV - it connects most of the fairy tales together and claims to be the truth about fairy tales. I live in San Fransisco and seriously think circles are way cooler than triangles.

Author Links:
Website: http://cameronjace.blogspot.ca/
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/995289.Cameron_Jace
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/camjace
Twitter: https://twitter.com/cameronjace