A Dream Within A Dream: Dark Days Blog Tour: Review, Dream Cast + Giveaway

Dark Days
Author: Kate Ormand
Publisher: Sky Pony Press
Release Date: June 3, 2014
Rate: 3 Stars

Synopsis:

The future world has been divided into sectors--each the same as the other. Surrounded by thick steel fences, there is no way in and no way out. Yet a cyborg army penetrates each sector, picking off its citizens one by one, until no one is left. Behind the sectors' thick walls, the citizens wait to die. Few will be chosen to survive what's coming; the rest will be left behind to suffer. A new world has been created, and its rulers are incredibly selective on who will become a citizen. They want only those with important roles in society to help create a more perfect future.

Sixteen-year-old Sia lives in one of the sectors as part of a family that is far too ordinary to be picked to live. According to the digital clock that towers high above her sector, she has only fifteen days to live. Sia has seen the reports and knows a horrific death is in store for her, but she is determined to make the most of her final days. Sia refuses to mourn her short life, instead promising herself that she'll stay strong, despite being suffocated by her depressed mother and her frightened best friend. Just when Sia feels more alone than ever, she meets Mace, a mysterious boy. There is something that draws Sia to him, despite his dangerousness, and together, they join a group of rebels and embark on an epic journey to destroy the new world and its machines, and to put an end to the slaughter of innocent people.

Dark Days is a young adult dystopian novel that shows the reader a terrible world where the leader of the government is destroying sectors - and everyone in them - one by one. His goal is to save the "best" of people so they can begin a New World with only the best. Sia is the main character of the book - a sixteen year old teenager who's sector is about to be demolished in 15 days. Sia's determined to spend her final days the best she can, without wasting any precious time. Sia meets the handsome and mysterious Mace while out at the store - and although everything about him screams trouble - Sia can't deny the strong pull she feels towards him. Both Sia and Mace believe that what's happening to the people and the sectors is wrong and should be stopped. They find a group of rebels and join the ranks in the hopes of destroying the cyborgs tearing apart the country and ending the idea of the New World for good.

I had been looking forward to reading this book for quite some time, after reading the description. It sounded like a fresh and original dystopian novel with a strong female lead, tons of action, and a sexy romance mixed in. Although the book didn't really meet my expectations for it (which may have been a bit high to begin with), it certainly fulfilled the part of excitement and action. Sia was a good main character, if a bit cookie-cutter for the genre. She's smart, strong, determined to fight for what she believes in, etc. Mace, the love interest in the book, was another cliche to me. A gorgeous guy who is mysterious and who the "good girl" main character feels drawn to - and then it turns out that he's the one who will help her take it all down. It felt a bit too familiar and there wasn't enough distinctive personalities to allow me to connect with the characters. The plot was intense - it starts right off with the characters only having 15 days left before they all die a terrible death. The pace doesn't slow down from there - the book is full of action and fighting - with lots of tension. There were some original aspects to the plot - like the cyborgs. That was a new one that I haven't encountered lately and it made the book creepier and also more interesting. The main gist of the plot was pretty straight forward and mediocre, but I still found it entertaining and worth the read. The writing was well done - especially with the fast pace and the vivid details. I think that this book had a ton of potential, but the characters and some parts of the story line made if fall short. I'd still recommend it to fans of the genre along with those who enjoy science fiction and action novels.

Sia - Lily Collins

Mace - Theo James (yummy!)

Damien Hoist - Jude Law

Sia's Dad - Aaron Eckhart

Sia's Mom - Ashley Judd

Follow the FFBC Dark Days blog tour and don't miss anything! Click on the banner to see the tour schedule.

KATE ORMAND is a YA writer represented by Isabel Atherton at Creative Authors Ltd. She lives in the UK with her family, her partner, and a cocker spaniel called Freddie. She recently graduated from university with a first class BA (Hons) degree in Fine Art Painting. It was during this course that Kate discovered her love of reading YA books, prompting her to try a new creative angle and experiment with writing. Kate is also a member of an online group of published writers and illustrators called Author Allsorts. And she writes children’s picture books under the name Kate Louise.

You can see more about Kate and her writing by visiting her website (www.kateormand.wordpress.com) or on Twitter (@kateormand).