A Dream Within A Dream: The Vanished Blog Tour: Excerpt & Review

The Vanished (Blemished #2)
Author: Sarah Dalton
Genre: YA Dystopian
Release Date: January 30, 2013

Description:

“You’re part of the vanished now. That’s what we all are. The people who have been forgotten.”

Mina Hart fought her way out of Area 14. She made it to The Clans so that she can live a normal life with her friends and her father. But what she finds is no safe haven.

As her best friend turns against her and the Compounders treat her with distrust, Mina begins to suspect foul play at the very heart of her new home. Just to make matters worse, the threat of war is coming. The Clans are turning against each other, and Mina is caught in the middle.

Join Mina as she is reunited with her father, meets new and surprising friends and tries to figure out her complicated love life. The Vanished promises even more rebellion and romance with betrayal just around the corner…

“Who are you?”
The voice, a boy’s voice, jolted me out of my thoughts and I jumped. When I turned around, I saw a scruffy haired, dark-eyed boy with his arms folded across his chest. His nostrils flared. His eyes examined me like I was a puzzle to work out.
“Salt and Rosemary. You’re a very thoughtful girl.” He waggled his finger at me and inhaled again. “Ugh. Undertones of fermented chillis. You’re a very angry girl.” He wafted his hands under his nose, taking in more deep breaths. “Roses. You’re in love. Cut grass. You’re honest. Pepper. You’re confused––”
“What the hell are you doing?” I snapped.
The boy laughed. “I’m scenting your personality.”
I cringed. “You’re mentally deranged.”
He folded his arms again and rocked back on his heels in amusement. “You think I’ve never heard that one before?” His eyes narrowed, fixing on me with ferocity. “You never answered my question and since we’ve already established that you are honest I think you should tell me who you are before I summon the gang.”
“You have a gang?” I raised an eyebrow. His tone was beginning to annoy me, and I felt my finger twitch in anticipation.
“Phew!” The boy clutched at his nose. “You really do have a temper. Moulding chillis.” He shook his head in wonder. “It’s the most disgusting smell, and you reek of it.”
Embarrassed, I sniffed my arm-pit, realising that I hadn’t showered in days. The boy erupted into a fit of scornful laughter.
“You can’t smell it, you idiot. Don’t you understand what I’m saying?” He moved towards me. “I. Can. Smell. Your. Emotions.”
“If you come even an inch closer to me I’ll throw you across that field.” I felt blood rise to my cheeks.
He snorted. “What can an itty-bitty girl like––”
The boy never got a chance to finish before the searing power erupted through my mind and I lifted the boy off the ground, dangling him six feet above the ground. He screamed and shrieked and it was my time to laugh.
“What are you doing, you nutter? Put me down! What the hell are you…? Whoaaa… help! A crazy girl is chucking me around… ahhhh!”
I laughed and threw him from side to side like a ball. Using my power had never been this easy. I thought about throwing him across the field, picking out a few painful looking thorn bushes…
“Mina! Put him down this instance.”

I gasped and dropped the boy to the ground. I knew that voice. It was the voice I’d heard a thousand, a million times – before bed, at breakfast, in the kitchen, in the garden, on the swings, in the shops… everywhere. It was my dad.

The Vanished is the second book in a young adult dystopian series that continues where the first installment left off - with Mina Hart escaping from Area 14 into the Clans to freedom and to reunite with her dad. Even though this new place is supposed to be a fresh start, Mina begins to suspect things aren't as they appear in the Clans, especially when her best friend turns against her and the other people in the compound are extra wary of her. There's a war brewing between the Clans, with Mina stuck right in the center of things.

This was an action packed sequel that had me completely sucked in from the first page. Mina continues to grow as a main character. She's attempting to grow accustomed to life outside of Area 14 and her newfound freedom, as well as being reunited with her father. There's definitely a lot of action with the Clans people turning against each other and Mina encountering distrust and contempt from the others in her new home. Along with fighting each other, the Clans people must always be on guard against the Enforcers from Area 14, leaving little time for rest and relaxation. The plot continued to be enthralling and I was devouring the book as fast as I could to see what would happen with the characters and the brewing unrest. The writing was fast paced and very well done. The descriptions were vivid and I easily found myself slipping into the story alongside the characters. This book is a dystopian novel, but also adds several other genres into the mix including action, mystery, adventure and romance. It definitely appeals to fans of several different types of fiction and crosses over barriers easily. Overall, this was a fantastic second book in what continues to be a thrilling YA dystopian series that readers will definitely want to get their hands on.