Welcome to my stop on the official blog tour for Firstborn by Lorie Ann Grover! Today I have my review of the book along with a Tens List guest post by the author to share with you all. Don't forget to enter the tour wide giveaway at the bottom of the post! To follow the rest of the tour, click on the banner above.
Firstborn
Author: Lorie Ann Grover
Genre: YA Science Fiction/Fantasy/Dystopia
Release Date: January 28, 2014
Publisher: Blink
Description:
Tiadone has been forced
to live her entire life as a female accepted as male in her community in
order to survive as a firstborn child. But when she needs to pass the
rites of manhood, she finds the Creator may have use for her feminine
traits after all.
Top Ten List - Things you would change about your high school years if you could go back in time.
1. I’d do the makeup work after mono in the summer after my junior year.
2. I’d maybe take the SAT, which I didn’t do to rebel against the system. I just wonder what
I would have scored. Somehow, I still got into university without it.
3. I’d look for a better product to tame my huge hair.
4. I’d go out for varsity volleyball.
5. I’d try out for that mime troupe. (It was super cool then. Really.)
6. I’d play the flute.
7. I’d read even more.
8. I’d take photography and learn the entire darkroom process.
9. I’d keep dancing. (See my novel On Pointe.)
10. I’d backpack through France when I graduated.
I found this story to be incredibly unique and fascinating. I loved learning about Tiadone's society - their everyday lives, their history, beliefs, and everything else the author shared with us. Tiadone is a great main character. She's female, although everyone in her community - including her father and herself - sees her as a declared male. Firstborn children are not allowed to be female in this society, so when Tiadone was born her parents had two options: declare her as male or have her taken to her death on the Scree. I loved the aspect of the story that dealt with the birds - how the rapions twined with their master and where connected in a special bond. Mirko, Tiadone's bird, is just as unusual as she is in her culture - which makes a fitting match for the book. The writing was detailed and had lots of description, which made it easy for me to imagine myself alongside Tiadone throughout the book. I did find the writing to be somewhat choppy - it didn't seem to flow smoothly, which made it hard for me to fully immerse myself into the story. Some parts of the book were predictable, but not enough for me to stop reading. I liked the coming of age story of Tiadone along with the deeper topics of determination, strength, and believing in yourself that play a part in the plot. Overall, this was an original novel that fans of science fiction and dystopias will enjoy.
Lorie Ann Grover is an awarded YA novelist and board book author whose
works include Kirkus Starred Review, Firstborn, and Parents Magazine
Best Children’s Book, Bedtime Kiss for Little Fish. She co-founded
readergirlz and readertotz. Living with her husband in the foothills of
Mt. Rainier, she writes, practices weapons tai chi, and watches hawks
take flight.
You can purchase Firstborn at the following Retailers:
(3) Winners will receive a Copy of Firstborn + Bookmarks by Lorie Ann Grover.
Must be 13+ to Enter / INT Giveaway
*Book Nerd Tours is not responsible for Lost or Damaged Books in your Mail Box*
Thanks so much for hosting me! I appreciate it much. :~)
ReplyDeleteInteresting premise! Thanks for the giveaway!
ReplyDelete