Welcome to my stop on the official blog tour for The Glass Arrow by Kristen Simmons! Today I have my review of the book to share with you, along with a great tens list guest post by Kristen - and don't forget to enter the awesome giveaway! To follow the rest of the tour, click on the banner above.
The Glass Arrow
Author: Kristen Simmons
Genre: YA Fantasy/Dystopia
Release Date: February 10, 2015
Publisher: Tor Teen
Description:
The Handmaid’s Tale meets Blood Red Road in
Glass Arrow, the story of Aya, who lives with a small group of women on
the run from the men who hunt them, men who want to auction off
breeding rights to the highest bidder.
In a world where females are scarce and are hunted, then bought and sold at market for their breeding rights, 15-year old Aya has learned how to hide. With a ragtag bunch of other women and girls, she has successfully avoided capture and eked out a nomadic but free existence in the mountains. But when Aya’s luck runs out and she’s caught by a group of businessmen on a hunting expedition, fighting to survive takes on a whole new meaning.
In a world where females are scarce and are hunted, then bought and sold at market for their breeding rights, 15-year old Aya has learned how to hide. With a ragtag bunch of other women and girls, she has successfully avoided capture and eked out a nomadic but free existence in the mountains. But when Aya’s luck runs out and she’s caught by a group of businessmen on a hunting expedition, fighting to survive takes on a whole new meaning.
Top Ten Favorite Books:
1. The Chaos Walking Trilogy (The Knife of Never Letting Go – book 1) by Patrick Ness – whenever I think OMG FAVORITE YA BOOKS, this series is always the first to come to mind. I love it. I love everything about it. It rocked my socks off. Plus, there’s a talking dog.
2. Seaswept (Rising Tides, Inner Harbor) by Nora Roberts – read this when I was dumb enough to still think taping the cover of To Kill a Mockingbird overtop would deflect my parents’ suspicions. Don’t judge. Nora taught me to love love stories.
3. Many Waters (part of the Wrinkle in Time quartet) by Madeline L’Engle – I read these books many times in my youth, but always came back to the twins’ story. I don’t know if I had a crush on them, or if it was the awesomeness of Noah’s ark story that drew me in, but this was a cornerstone of my youth.
4. Martin the Warrior by Brian Jacques – also, another frequent read in my youth. This was one of the first “long books” I finished, and I remember being totally captivated by the adventurous plot and the bravery of a most unlikely hero (spoiler: he’s a mouse).
5. The Black Stallion by Walter Farley – I liked horses. I liked Alec. Read these books a lot growing up for both of those reasons.
6. Looking for Alaska by John Green – I love this for probably the same reasons 60 billion other people around the world do. (DFTBA!)
7. The Road by Cormac McCarthy – because this book creeped me out beyond reason and yet was one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever read. The setting inspired Article 5, and I will ever be thankful to it for leading me to Ember’s world.
8. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley – the whole man vs. monster dilemma always speaks to me – what makes us monsters? How do we live with the things we’ve done? (Ember discusses this in Article 5.) It may be set in Victorian times, but the themes are still relevant.
9. Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor – if you haven’t read this, just do it. Reading it is like eating the best kind of chocolate, or listening to your favorite song. Her writing is incredible. She makes me hate myself a little.
10. The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater – I’m not sure I can even accurately explain what this series is about – the search for an ancient Welsh King, energy lines, psychics, abuse, friendship, love, the divide between rich and poor, a hit man, people who steal things from dreams – but it all works flawlessly. This is my current OMG HAVE YOU READ…??? book.
11. Dare You To by Katie McGarry – a GREAT young adult love story with a GREAT therapist (who is in the entire series). These characters have stuck with me as Katie and I have talked through various drafts of the story. Plus, it’s the girl who kicks ass the guy who’s a good boy.
12. The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien – the completely earth-shaking story of US soldiers during Vietnam. This topic is particularly important to me anyway, but the way he writes about the guilt, and shame, and fear, and loss of innocence makes you feel all of it. This is one of the most powerful things I’ve ever read.
Thanks for having me!
Thanks so much for stopping by and sharing your top twelve favorite books with us! I'll give you a pass on going over the limit of ten, because - let's be honest - none of us could only name ten. :)
The Glass Arrow is a thrilling young adult dystopian novel that follows our main character, Aya, as she goes through her worst nightmare - being caught and sold at auction to the highest male bidder. In this terrible world, young women are in high demand because of their increased chances of having a healthy baby boy. Aya has grown up with her mother, cousin, and another small family in the thick woods by the mountains. They have all learned how to hide well in case Trackers come - and they're happy with their simple life in the forest, mainly because they're free. Their worst fears come true when a hunting party finds their camp in the woods, with at least two dying and Aya being captured and taken away. She now finds herself in the Garden - a prison-like complex where the young girls live while waiting to be sold at the auctions. Now that Aya has been captured, she has to change her tactics of survival in order to stay away from the auctions as long as possible. She's ready to do whatever it takes to escape back into the wild - even if it means getting killed in the process. Will Aya be able to escape the Garden? Will she end up being sold at auction for breeding rights? How will she survive in this horrible new situation?
Just by reading the description of the book and seeing who wrote it; I knew right away that I had to read it. I've read several other books by the author and loved each one, which gaave this novel some high expectations and hopes to live up to before I even opened it. Like I knew it would, this story didn't disappoint in the least. It actually went above and beyond anything I had hoped for. The author does such a phenomenal job detailing each aspect of the story - from the characters and setting to Aya's world and the dialogue - that when they came together created nothing short of amazing. Aya is an incredibly strong female lead for the book and I really loved her character. She's so strong - mentally, emotionally, physically - yet she's also kind, compassionate, devoted and loving to her family, and determined to do whatever it takes to survive. The book is told from Aya's point of view, which is my favorite type. I love the way that the reader gets to know the character on a very personal level throughout the book. We get to know their thoughts, hopes, dreams, fears, and general thoughts. Getting to experience the story through the eyes of the main character is an unique experience and the reader ends up truly connecting with the person and can identify with them and watch them grow up close.
The world that Aya lives in is absolutely horrifying - especially for younger women. The very thought of teenage girls being taken from their homes (or worse, given away by their family) in order to be sold like livestock at an auction is disgusting and maddening on so many levels. I can't imagine having to live in a world where I either grew up preparing for the auctions or running and hiding to avoid them - and ultimately being sold to the highest bidder mainly for breeding rights. The system of the women is detailed in the book, like the First Rounds - the girls who are virgins and being sold at their first auction - and all the other levels until their fate - which is usually being kicked out onto the streets and dying of the plague or starvation. The girls aren't just bought for breeding rights though - if they can't produce healthy boy babies or are past their "prime," their owners can either put them up for auction again or keep them for whatever they want - pleasure, slave work, pretty much anything you can think of. The treatment of these women - every single angle and part of it - enraged me and made me sick. I know that's the entire point of the book, but still. I feel the same as Aya - I would much rather die than be sold as a man's property like that. There are other detailed parts of the world - like the condition of the cities, the castes of people, the problems people faced in the system, etc. - that were interesting and really helped to capture the feeling and look of this place. I don't do spoilers in my reviews, so I can't really discuss the plot very much. I can say that it was very well written with a fast pace that kept me eagerly reading as fast as I could to see what was going to happen. I was so wrapped up in the story that I ended up reading it in one sitting of about four hours. The author's writing style is nothing short of mesmerizing - I was honestly hooked from the first couple of sentences and I didn't come up for air at all until I had completely finished it all. The use of incredibly detailed descriptions and vivid imagery brought the story and all of its aspects to life, and I could easily shut my eyes and slip into the book beside Aya. I honestly can't praise the author's writing enough - it seems that every new book I read of hers only gets better, which I didn't think could even be possible. Overall, this was a magnificent and enchanting dystopian novel that makes the reader sit back and really think about some issues that are happening today or could happen tomorrow. I can't recommend this novel high enough - especially to those who are fans of the genre as well as readers who like fantasy, science fiction, action, and adventures.
Just by reading the description of the book and seeing who wrote it; I knew right away that I had to read it. I've read several other books by the author and loved each one, which gaave this novel some high expectations and hopes to live up to before I even opened it. Like I knew it would, this story didn't disappoint in the least. It actually went above and beyond anything I had hoped for. The author does such a phenomenal job detailing each aspect of the story - from the characters and setting to Aya's world and the dialogue - that when they came together created nothing short of amazing. Aya is an incredibly strong female lead for the book and I really loved her character. She's so strong - mentally, emotionally, physically - yet she's also kind, compassionate, devoted and loving to her family, and determined to do whatever it takes to survive. The book is told from Aya's point of view, which is my favorite type. I love the way that the reader gets to know the character on a very personal level throughout the book. We get to know their thoughts, hopes, dreams, fears, and general thoughts. Getting to experience the story through the eyes of the main character is an unique experience and the reader ends up truly connecting with the person and can identify with them and watch them grow up close.
The world that Aya lives in is absolutely horrifying - especially for younger women. The very thought of teenage girls being taken from their homes (or worse, given away by their family) in order to be sold like livestock at an auction is disgusting and maddening on so many levels. I can't imagine having to live in a world where I either grew up preparing for the auctions or running and hiding to avoid them - and ultimately being sold to the highest bidder mainly for breeding rights. The system of the women is detailed in the book, like the First Rounds - the girls who are virgins and being sold at their first auction - and all the other levels until their fate - which is usually being kicked out onto the streets and dying of the plague or starvation. The girls aren't just bought for breeding rights though - if they can't produce healthy boy babies or are past their "prime," their owners can either put them up for auction again or keep them for whatever they want - pleasure, slave work, pretty much anything you can think of. The treatment of these women - every single angle and part of it - enraged me and made me sick. I know that's the entire point of the book, but still. I feel the same as Aya - I would much rather die than be sold as a man's property like that. There are other detailed parts of the world - like the condition of the cities, the castes of people, the problems people faced in the system, etc. - that were interesting and really helped to capture the feeling and look of this place. I don't do spoilers in my reviews, so I can't really discuss the plot very much. I can say that it was very well written with a fast pace that kept me eagerly reading as fast as I could to see what was going to happen. I was so wrapped up in the story that I ended up reading it in one sitting of about four hours. The author's writing style is nothing short of mesmerizing - I was honestly hooked from the first couple of sentences and I didn't come up for air at all until I had completely finished it all. The use of incredibly detailed descriptions and vivid imagery brought the story and all of its aspects to life, and I could easily shut my eyes and slip into the book beside Aya. I honestly can't praise the author's writing enough - it seems that every new book I read of hers only gets better, which I didn't think could even be possible. Overall, this was a magnificent and enchanting dystopian novel that makes the reader sit back and really think about some issues that are happening today or could happen tomorrow. I can't recommend this novel high enough - especially to those who are fans of the genre as well as readers who like fantasy, science fiction, action, and adventures.
A New Favorite! Nothing short of spellbinding with true originality and mesmerizing narrative!
Kristen Simmons is the author of the
ARTICLE 5 series and THE GLASS ARROW (Tor Teen). She loves her family,
Jazzercise, and chocolate cupcakes. She currently lives in Cincinnati,
Ohio.
Social Media:
You can purchase The Glass Arrow at the following Retailers:
(5) Copies of Glass Arrow and Bookmarks by Kristen Simmons.
(1) Winner will receive a Signed Copy of The Glass Arrow and Bookmark.
Giveaway is open to International. | Must be 13+ to Enter
Cool post and review. I also love the book cover.
ReplyDeleteThere are so many great names in that book list. I was pleased to see both the old and the new :) Thanks for posting <3
ReplyDeleteRafflecopter- Elizabeth Holme