{Review/Special Deleted Excerpts!} SCORCHED by Mari Mancusi

Stop by Kat's Korner
for special features and reviews from Kat!
You can also follow Kat now on Twitter!
(Want more info? Meet Kat now!)
Check out Kat's previous reviews and posts!

Today, Kat's Korner has been INVADED!!!

We both read SCORCHED at the same time, and decided to review the book TOGETHER.

What follows is a crazy, convoluted mess...

but hopefully a lot of fun, too!

This is a perfect example of our normal conversations...Helpful and in depth, but also silly and weird. ^.~

Because sometimes, we like posting things together, too!

Hey everyone! Kat and Bonnie here.

We really wanted to try out reviewing together. Sometimes, we read the same books!

Tell us what you think of this format? Too much? Just right? Goldilocks??

Not only do we have a review of SCORCHED, 

the first book in an exciting, brand-new series,
I'm also pleased to share a special holiday treat 
from author Mari Mancusi and publisher Sourcebooks Fire!

We;re thrilled to help reveal the never-before-seen first two chapters of an early version of SCORCHED!
(This WAS a holiday treat from Sourcebooks...but Kat and I didn't finish reading/put this together until now...and we really wanted you to see a review when you read the excerpts!)

These tantalizing chapters feature a scene of Caleb and Connor as kids with their parents on the Surface Lands, as well as a scene of Connor arriving in Trinity’s world earlier and watching her in the school cafeteria. If that wasn’t exciting enough, readers will finally get to meet Caitlin, the friend Trinity always talks about in the novel, and also see what Trinity’s life was like pre-dragon egg!

Are you excited? We are!

Here's an excerpt now!

AUTHOR INTRO
AND 
EXCLUSIVE EXCERPT
FROM SCORCHED! 

Discovering your story’s true beginning…

Sometimes the most difficult part about writing a book is figuring out where to begin. And sometimes authors like myself end up with several false starts before finally discovering the true first page of their book. In the original version of Scorched I started the story with Connor and Caleb at age ten, on the day their father was killed and their destinies changed forever.

But while it’s certainly a dramatic, important scene with tons of dragon action, it doesn’t drop the reader right into the real crux of the current conflict—the dragon egg arriving at the museum and the soldiers trying to steal it. Ultimately, I ended up using a shorter version of this as a flashback later on in the final book. But I do still have some affection for this extended peak into the boys’ family life, before it was torn apart by dragons.

The second deleted chapter shows exactly how much a story’s backdrop can change over the course of editing. In the original version, Trinity goes to an Upper East Side boarding school in New York City, not Texas. And she has a history of hearing voices in her head, rather than hearing the first voice in the museum just before the break-in. And lastly, Connor is already there—watching her, readying to make his move, instead of arriving four months late. In this version you get to meet Trinity’s best friend Caitlin, who is mentioned a lot in the final version of Scorched, but never made a real appearance on the page.  

It’s fun to look back at the story as it might have been. And I hope you enjoy the sneak peek into a writer’s head. Oh and by the way? At this stage the working title of the book was “Scales of Time.” (Which no one seemed to like but me! Sigh.)

Prologue

Year 100, Post-Scorch

           

            “RAWR!!!”

            Ten-year-old Caleb Johnson leapt from the pile of twisted iron wreckage he’d been hiding behind, arms outstretched and fingers curled into claws. “I am the dreaded ruby dragon, Epsilon!” he declared, a fierce expression on his sunburned, freckled face. “Beware or I will unleash my mighty flames upon you!” He roared again for emphasis.

            His identical twin brother, Connor, squealed into a mixture of delight and surprise as he expertly dodged his brother’s charge and took off running through the Pre-Flag building—down a rubble-filled corridor, beneath a blackened archway, leaping over crumbling cinderblocks and ducking rusty steel pipes, his brother hot on his heels. From above, orange rays of light from the setting sun leaked through cracks in the battered tin roof, effectively illuminating his path. 

            "You cannot get away!" Caleb cried from behind him. "No one can escape a dragon! RAWR!"

            Connor dead-ended in a long, chamber, filled with rotting wooden benches that faced some kind of elevated stage and dusty altar. The roof had held here, allowing him a better glimpse into what the room must have looked like, once upon a time. A church, his mother had told them when they’d taken shelter here earlier that day.

            Caleb burst into the room, his crooked teeth bared in a ferocious snarl. Connor laughed, running down the aisle and grabbing a metal scepter that lay abandoned on the ground near the altar. Turning on his brother, he wielded the metal object as if it were a mighty gun-blade.

            “I don’t need to escape,” he proclaimed bravely. “I am a Hunter. And I will take you down!” He leapt forward, ready to destroy the mighty dragon once and for--

            "Caleb? Connor? Get back here where I can see you." 

            Connor lowered his gun-blade. "Awh, Mom."

            "We're just having fun," Caleb added.

            Their mother poked her head into the chamber. “Well, dinner’s almost ready," she informed them. "You do want to eat, don't you?"

            It wasn’t really a question. Dropping his makeshift weapon, Conner scrambled after his mother and brother down the rubble-filled hall and into the stifling heat of a smaller entry room with four good walls, ceiling and door. His mother had swept out all the ashes when they'd first arrived and set up a makeshift camp—complete with cinderblock fire, on which she had set her large cast-iron pot. She looked over at her boys and smiled.

            "And how are my brave little Dragon Hunters?" she asked, a teasing look in her eyes.

            "Starving," Connor replied, peering into the cauldron where the soup bubbled and boiled. The smoke stung his eyes, but the smell more than made up for it.

            "Well, you're in luck. My snares caught a couple of rats today. So there's real meat in the soup." She grabbed two cracked ceramic bowls from one of the worn knapsacks she’d piled in a corner, ladling the cauldron's contents into them and handing them to her sons. Mom was an expert at making what Dad jokingly called "stone soup" with the scarce ingredients she could scavenge while camping out on the surface lands.

            The boys settled down on their sleeping mats and Connor brought the bowl to his mouth, burning his tongue on the steaming liquid. It was a bit bland--they'd run out of salt earlier that week--but it would fill his rumbling stomach and that was all that mattered in the end.

            A sudden noise outside made Mom leap to her feet, grabbing the knife from her belt and gripping it tightly in her hand. "Who's there?" she demanded, her voice almost fierce enough to disguise her fear. "We're armed and will not hesitate to defend ourselves."

            "Will you now, my love?" asked the tall, burly man sauntering through the door. The boys squealed in delight as they dropped their bowls to great their father. Mom set down her knife, letting out a sigh of relief, as Caleb and Connor fought to hug Dad first. He dropped down to their eye level and ruffled their matching brown heads of hair.

            "My boys!" he cried, kissing each of them on the cheek. "Have you been good? Keeping your mother safe for me?"

            "Yes, Sir," Connor assured him with a small salute. "She's all right. And there's rat in the soup tonight."

            Dad flashed a smile at Mom. "Rat in the soup," he repeated. "Well, this is a good night indeed then." He rose to his feet and walked over to his wife, wrapping his arms around her and squeezing her close.

            "Any luck today?" Connor heard her ask in a low voice.

            Dad released her from his embrace and walked over to the corner to pull off his dusty jacket and boots. "No," he replied. "But he's out there. I can smell his smoke in the air. And his shadow crossed the sun at least twice today. It's as if he's searching for something."

            Mom handed him a bowl of soup. "Forget him, then," she urged. "We've been out here thirty days now and he's not come down. We're out of food and it's not good for the boys to be out here so long."  

            "Is it really any better down below?" Dad asked her pointedly. "With no dragon heart, we have no money and no means to buy bread or meat. We'll end up living in Shanty Town. At least up here, we're free."

            "Free to get eaten by a dragon or murdered by wandering bandits."

            "But thirty pieces of silver, love! I slay this dragon and we'll live like kings and queens!" 

            "Please. I'd rather have you alive and well than be any kind of stuffy royalty."

            Dad chuckled at her grumpy face. "Oh, wife," he teased. "What did I do to deserve you?" He planted a kiss on her sunburned nose. "Okay, you win," he said. "Tomorrow when the sun rises, we'll head straight to the C Gate. Go underground and regroup. Maybe send the boys to school for a bit." He sat down on his mat and started sipping his soup.

            Connor and Caleb looked at one another with distaste. The last thing they wanted was to go below again. Where it was cramped and dirty and crowded with other people. They preferred it up here--a surface land filled with undiscovered treasures from the old world. Even if they did have to worry about--

            An inhuman howl pierced through the evening air.

            Dad was on his feet instantly. "It's him," he announced, looking over at Mom with an excited gleam in his eyes. "My last call must have reached him. He's coming in at last." 

            Mom swallowed hard, turning to the boys. "Go to the innermost chamber," she instructed, her voice thick with fear. "The one with the best roof. And wait there until you hear from us." She doused the fire and started grabbing their things, stuffing them into bags.

            “But Mom!” Connor protested. He didn't want to miss out on the action.

            “No backtalk. Do it now!” Her voice left no room for argument.

            The boys reluctantly turned and headed down the rubble-filled corridor, toward the large chamber. When they were out of sight of their parents, Caleb turned to Connor, his eyes shining with excitement. I know a place we can watch from, he told him, using their silent twin speak that no one else could hear. I found it earlier today. Mom will never know.

            Connor grinned. Major. Lead the way.

            He followed his brother through a now darkened corridor, through a caved-in wall and up a pile of rubble until they reached a broken glass window that led out onto the roof. Caleb squeezed his skinny body through and then turned, motioning for his brother to follow him.

            Connor looked reluctantly at the window. I don’t know… he hedged.

            Dad’s going to slay a dragon, Connor. You want to miss it?

            Connor shook his head. “No, of course not,” he said aloud, making up his mind and climbing through the window, careful not to cut himself on the glass. Without proper medicine, the smallest cut out here could be deadly. He followed his brother up the metal roof, slick from a recent rain, until they could peek over to the other side of the building, where Dad was readying for his fight.

            They looked at each other and grinned, then turned back to the scene. Dad had pulled his mighty gun-bade from its holster and readied his shield, the shiny metal gleaming in the dusky eve. As the boys watched, he scanned the darkened sky, eyes locking onto his target, far above. Connor followed his gaze. A Sapphire, he realized. Only half grown by the look of it. Should be an easy fight for an experienced Dragon Hunter like their father.

            "It's so beautiful," Caleb said with a dreamy sigh. "It's almost a shame Dad has to kill it."

            Connor shuddered, seeing nothing beautiful about the hard-scaled creature with razor sharp teeth and vacant eyes. The dragon seemed to dance through the sky, flittering about, toying with their father. Dad shrugged the gun-blade onto his shoulder and readied his first shot. Sucked in his breath, lining up his target. Then he pulled the trigger.

The dragon let out an angry screech as the bullet bounced harmlessly off its sapphire plated scales. He'd missed the sweet spot. The one soft scale under the left wing. Dad liked to brag about one-shot kills. But today evidently wasn't his day.

The creature released a stream of fire--scorching the ground mere feet from where their father had stood--Dad leaping backwards, just in time. Connor scooted further up on the roof, to get a better look, his heart feeling as if it would crack his ribs it was beating so hard.

Come on, Dad! he urged his father silently. Kill it!

Suddenly the dragon whipped its head around, stony eyes locking straight onto Connor as if it had heard his silent cry. Shock caused him to lose his balance on the slippery roof and a moment later he found himself tumbling down the other side, as the dragon's screech reverberated in his ears. He slammed onto the desert floor, a sharp pain shooting up his leg as his ankle crumpled and cracked.

"Connor!" Dad cried in a horrified voice. He started toward his son. But the dragon was too quick, coming down for a fast landing. Panicked, Connor tried to scramble away, but his foot dragged uselessly--his ankle likely broken.

He looked up and found himself face to face with the dragon, now standing only a few feet away, studying him with cold eyes. The creature pulled back its head, smoke billowing from its nostrils. Connor swallowed hard. One more moment and the fire would come. And it would be over forever. He squared his scrawny shoulders instead, ready to face death like a man and--

Suddenly Connor found himself being grabbed and thrown--like a sack full of hot potatoes. He hit the ground a few yards away with a hard thump, the pain shooting up his leg all over again. But it scarcely registered as he watched the dragon let loose a stream of fire--striking his father--who had dropped his shield and gun-blade to save his son--full force in the chest. For a moment, his dad's body just stood there, as if frozen in place while being engulfed in a sea of flames. Then he fell to the ground, screaming with agony.

"No!" Connor cried. In a fit of adrenaline-pumped rage, he dove at the discarded gun-blade. Gripping it in his hands, he turned to the creature, and, before the dragon could conjure up another blast, charged full force. Stabbing the gun-blade straight into the creature's soft spot, just as his father had taught him to do.

The dragon bellowed in agony, collapsing to the ground and writhing in pain as the blade pierced its unprotected heart. Connor met the creature's eyes with his own, staring it down with defiant rage. He yanked out the blood-soaked blade and stabbed the now helpless creature again. And again. And--

 “Connor, stop! He’s dead. The dragon’s dead!” He felt his mother’s arms grab him from behind and drag him away. He collapsed onto the ground, once again aware of the pain in his ankle. His mother dropped to her knees, searching his face with her own tear-stained one.

"Dad?" he managed to say, even though he already knew in his heart what her answer would be.

Mom shook her head. “I’m sorry Connor,” she said, tears streaming down her own cheeks. He buried his face in her chest, letting the grief take him. She held him close, rocking him gently, soothing him in soft whispers.

"I can't believe he's gone," he sobbed against her.

"I know sweetie," she murmured. "But he died a hero. Always remember that. And you're a hero, too. The way you killed that dragon..." He could feel the shake of her head. "You must have inherited your father's skills as a Dragon Hunter."

He shrugged, pulling away from her embrace and limping over to the dead dragon. He spit on the corpse, wishing there was some way to inflict even more pain and suffering on the creature who had taken his father away from them.

"I'll have my revenge on the rest of your kind," he whispered to the dragon. "I won't rest until dragons have been wiped out for good."

Chapter Two

New York City, Present Day

            "Hey, don't look now, but that vampire over there is staring at you again."

            Sixteen-year-old Trinity Brown set down her sandwich and spun in the direction her best friend, Caitlin Curry was gazing, across the high school cafeteria. Caitlin swatted her arm.

            "I said don't look. Jeez!"

            But it was too late and beyond the trays of mystery meat and half-eaten slices of pizza, Trin found herself locking eyes with the "vampire" in question, who was lounging a few tables away and indeed staring at her intently--not even having the decency to look away when caught in the act. With tousled brown hair, pale white skin and eyes rimmed in black kohl, she had to admit, he did kind of resemble a creature of the night and his dark gaze sent shivers down her spine. Flushed, she hurriedly dropped her eyes and turned back to her friend.

            "That's not a vampire," she replied, disguising her sudden unease with a loud, barking laugh. "There’s not a single sparkle on him.” 

            They erupted into giggles, breaking the spell and Caitlin, seemingly satisfied, dug into her cafeteria special--Salisbury steak. It was hard to fathom how the skinny girl wasn't three-hundred pounds, the way she wolfed down her food. Trin reached for her own tofu and cheese sandwich that her grandfather had bagged her that morning and took a bite.

            But today, her favorite sandwich tasted more like cardboard, and she was unable to shake feeling of the boy's stare, scorching her backside with the intensity of a thousand suns. Annoyed, she tossed the sandwich back on the table.

            "What?" Caitlin asked, her mouth full of mashed potato. It was always a surprise to her when people turned down food. Even if it was only tofu.

            Trin frowned. "He's still staring." She wasn't sure how she could tell, sitting with her back to him and all, but somehow she knew it to be true. 

            "He's been staring at you all week, girl," Caitlin reminded her. She strained her neck to get another peek. "Don't worry--he looks harmless. Cute, even, if only he got rid of that eyeliner and made friends with a tanning bed. Looks to me like Mr. Goth hasn't seen the sun in the last sixteen years."

            "So who is he again?" Trin asked. Caitlin was a walking Wikipedia when it came to the student body. Especially when it came to boys.

            "New kid. Name's...Connor Johnson, I believe. Came here a week ago. From Seattle or something. They grow 'em scrawny out there. Bi-product of nineties grunge-era parents and too much organic at an impressionable age."

            Trin processed the information. Then she shrugged. "Well, wherever he's from, I don't appreciate him staring at me like that," she replied with a scowl. "It's freaking me out." She squirmed in her seat, weirded out, but not quite knowing why.

            "Don't worry. I'll take care of it," Caitlin assured her. And before Trin could stop her, her friend was on her feet. "Hey dude!" she cried, in a voice loud enough to attract half the cafeteria. "Lay off with the stalker thing, won't you? Girl's not interested!” 

            The cafeteria erupted in laughter and conversation as everyone turned to check out the scene. Trin watched as the boy--Connor--rolled his eyes and rose from his seat with a fluid elegance that surprised her. He grabbed his long, black coat and military style backpack, then strolled leisurely out of the cafeteria without another look back.

             "There." Caitlin said, plopping back down on her own stool, a triumphant look on her freckled face. She pushed her glasses up her nose. "Edward Cullen won’t be bothering you again."

            Trin pushed her sandwich away, no longer hungry. "Yeah," she said, her voice sounding more disappointed than she'd meant it to. "Probably not."

            Situation seemingly satisfied, Caitlin launched into a lament about the obscene amount of homework Mr. Murphy had given her A period and how there was no way she'd possibly be able to do it all, especially when she had a date with Todd tonight. Trin tried her best to provide the expected murmurs of sympathy to fill the pauses in her best friend's monologue, but found herself repeatedly stealing glances at the doorway in which Conner had disappeared. 

            But the strange transfer student didn't make a reappearance, which was, most likely, for the best. After all, Trin didn't need any more unwanted attention, that was for sure. And even if the guy did have some kind of new-kid crush on her, he'd learn soon enough from the other students why that was a very bad idea.

            Still, there was just something about him. The way he stared at her, with those strange, haunted eyes of his. As if he were desperate to tell her something...

            She shook her head. Don't even go there, Trin. Remember what happened the last time.

            Speaking of eyes, she suddenly realized that by managing to shake off one boy's attentions, she'd managed to gain half of East Side Academy's. Hunching in her seat, she could sense their laughing mouths and bated breath, as if begging her to do something crazy for their lunchtime amusement. It was a small school, after all, and they all knew her history.

            She rose from her seat. "I'm out," she said, grabbing her brown bag and shoving her sandwich into it.

            "But lunch isn't over," Caitlin protested.

            "I've got to hit the nurse's."

            Her friend nodded understandingly and gave her a mock salute. "Love you girl." 

            "Love you, too."

            Trin stuffed her ear buds into her ears, turning up her iPod full blast, as she maneuvered her way through the rows of tables, avoiding eye contact with anyone she passed. The deep, soulful crooning of her favorite Goth singer filled her ears--a particularly effective mix for drowning out her fellow student body. Unfortunately, she didn't need her ears to know exactly what they were saying about her as she passed. They even had a chant, made up by Amber Madden during a particularly boring seventh grade recess, which had stuck ever since. 

Trin Brown is insane

Something wrong with her brain

Hearing voices in her head

Seeing people who are dead.

            For the record, Trin had never, at least knowingly, seen anyone dead. And the voices? The doctors had finally come up with a way to silence those permanently. Unfortunately that wasn't until after the long-ago Sixth Grade Incident of Crazy that no one at East Side Academy seemed willing to forget. 

            If only she'd been able to attend a different high school. One on the West Side, maybe, where no one knew about her and her broken brain. But East Side Academy was the only one willing to give her a full boat scholarship with her dubious medical record and her grandfather's dwindling bank account had guilted her into taking it.

            Can't let a few bullies ruin a world-class education, she reminded herself, uttering one of grandfather’s favorite platitudes. Though sometimes she wasn't sure it was worth it.

            Trin turned the corner and headed down the empty, florescent-lit hallway, lined with red lockers, toward the school infirmary. Pushing open the door, she greeted old Nurse Darien, who was sitting at her desk, as always, lost in a romance novel. The nurse gestured vaguely to a table full of prescriptions and Trin grabbed her own, dry swallowing two tablets and setting the bottle back down on the counter. It was a ritual they went through every day.

            Might as well hit the library before class, she decided, having no desire to go back to the jeering faces in the cafeteria.

            Trudging down the hallway, staring down at her black converse, music still blaring in her ears, Trin turned the corner, assuming the next corridor would be as empty as the last. Instead, she found herself slamming into something solid. Make that someone solid. Very solid, in fact.

            "Sorry, she muttered, pulling the ear buds from her ears. "I wasn't looking where..." She trailed off, her eyes widening as she realized just who she'd slammed into.

            None other than Mr. Vampire himself.

 ~*~

And because SCORCHED's book trailer is smoking-hot 
and not-to-be-missed...

B O O K   T R A I L E R:

YouTube Link

~*~

O P E N I N G   L I N E:

   SCREECH!
   Connor's eyes flew open. Blinding white lights barreled toward him at breakneck speed. No time to think, he hurled himself to the side, adrenaline igniting the reflexes he'd honed in boot camp. A bright blue metal monstrosity shot past him, wailing an angry protest in its wake.
   That was close. Too close. Sucking in a breath, he crawled up onto a nearby platform, trying to gain his bearings. Shiny hunks of metal machinery--like the one that had nearly crushed him--lined the road, dark and silent, while others cruised by, determined white lights chasing brilliant red tails. They reminded him of something he'd seen on the Surface Lands. Cars, his father had called them. Of course they looked a lot different when living, braething, and not caked with rust.
   But that meant...A smile crept to his lips.
   It had worked. It had actually worked.
   "Well, what do you know," he murmured, drawing in a lungful of the freshest air he'd ever breathed in all his seventeen years, with zero smoky aftertaste. It was crisp. Colder than they'd predicted for August in Texas. So cold, inf act, he could see his breath reflected in puffy clouds as he exhaled. Shivering a little--his travel jumper was definitely not made for this kind of weather--he found himself gazing up into an open sky littered with stars and anchored by a bright, full moon. The vastness of the universe unabashedly spread out before him made him a little dizzy.

(pg. 3, US ARC edition)
FREE!!! Read the first four chapters online now!

~*~

On How We Discovered SCORCHED

B: So let's talk about how we discovered SCORCHED!

I think I had seen it listed on a BEA calendar and had it on my print-out of books to look for at BEA, but it wasn't high on my list.

And then we went to the Teen Author Carnival and heard Mari Mancusi on the panel and SCORCHED sounded *so good!*

K: Yesss.

She hooked me with the 7 word description: "It's like the Terminator, except with dragons."

Five star 7 word description.

B: The line for meeting Mari Mancusi at BEA and getting the book signed was SO LONG! I'm glad I got there early. There were only a couple of people ahead of me. The woman manning the Sourcebooks booth said it was the first time people had lined up so early for an ARC!

K: Oooo.

I'm super lucky that I got the last one. c:

B: Those girls behind you who asked for one would have knifed you for your ARC if they'd overheard you a few seconds earlier!

K: Yeah, we booked after I got it.

Let them try, muahaha.

B: I would have shared if you hadn't, though. Just because I'm squeamish and didn't want blood all over my stuff

...and, okay, maybe I love you more than I do my stuff

K: Aww, right back at you!

On The Deleted Scenes

K: Wow, that was very different.

The dragon killing [Connor and Caleb's] dad was more or less the same, but [Trinity's] school in New York was completely different.

B: Right? It's not even the same story.

I think dropping into the action and then doing flashbacks was the way to go. And then you don't have school attachments.

K: Yup.

Also, the hearing voices in the beginning seemed like something that would add complications later.

B: Well, that was actually in the final copy, though.

K:  Yeah, but only when she touches the egg because it's the dragon.

B: Doesn't she have that "press" ability?

K: Yeah.

So did her grandpa, apparently.

B: Maybe that's what I'm thinking of, lol.

I know! So cool

K: Yup, I liked that little twist.

B: It really added an extra element and more intrigue to the series.

I really liked seeing the early draft, though. Connor and Caleb were adorable as kids.

K: Yesss.

On The Love Triangle

K: I think what I like most about those two [Connor and Caleb] is that they throw a wrench into the love triangle.

They alternate between good boy and bad boy, which makes that classic love dilemma much harder to predict.

I think Trinity can completely do a 180 in SHATTERED.

Or not, and stick with Conner.

B: I honestly hope there isn't too much of a love triangle going forward. That will cause a problem for the brothers. She's kissed them both, and then gets wishy-washy. Twins AREN'T the same people, and they might get their feelings hurt if she keeps wavering!

K: So true!

But she recognizes that they're two different people, though.

Like, the way she talks about their eyes being different, and how Conner is more gentle.

B: Very true. It will be interesting to see where it goes. But a twin triangle has me a little squirmy. I'll admit it.

Which boy do you like better so far?

K: Love triangles usually bother me, but this one isn't so annoying so far lol.

I think Caleb, in all honesty.

I really like Conner, but Caleb did the whole show her how to ride a dragon thing. That was too cool.

I didn't approve of him being an immature jerk afterwards, though.

He bonded with her in a way Conner will never be able to: through living with dragons.

B: I don't know. I lean toward Connor myself. I like that he's more grounded, less idealistic. He is going to evolve so much as a character, and I feel that a relationship with Trinity would change him for the better. Or maybe I'm just more attached because I met him first, lol.

K: That is all true, but 

[SPOILER for, like, the next seven lines!]

the Order of the Dracken has been proven false; now Caleb must change.

He's been lied to, and has to accept that.

He's gonna need help.

B: That's true. And maybe that's part of why I liked Connor better. Caleb was so into the Dracken, and you just KNEW they were bad news.

K: Yeah, it was obvious.

B: At the same time, Connor has also had his eyes opened, and knows that dragons aren't as evil as he grew up believing.

K: Also true. Both of them have to change. This is going to get complicated.

B: It will be interesting to see what this knowledge does for both brothers.

[Okay, you're good to go again!]

You know what ELSE is complicated?

I always got confused. Connor. Caleb. Which one is which? TOO MANY C NAMES.

I swear, at one point, I had to flip to the back and look at the blurb because I mixed the two up...possibly at a time when Trinity herself was mixing them up.

K: Yeah, I was confused at first, but then linked Conner to Sarah Conner from Terminator.

Conner = nice guy because Sarah Conner was the hero.

B: Maybe if I'd ever SEEN Terminator, that would be useful

K: Whaat?

B: Squeamish One, remember?

K: You are so missing out, though!

B: Oh, but I'm not. ^.~

K: lol don't let Kyle [Kat's BF] find that out. Those are his favorite movies.

B: If he finds out, I'll know who told him...and I know where you work. Bwahaha.

On The World Building

K: Time is a factor for this world indeed.

I like that there's a distinctive time line here, based on the dragon hatching and destroying everything.

Modern American society becomes Fallout grade wasteland.

B: Time is so fluid, and there are so many worlds to keep track of! This is definitely a sci-fi fantasy!

I thought the future with everyone needing to live underground due to the charred aboveland wasteland of The Surface Lands was so intriguing and different.

I like that Mari Mancusi made sure that the boys had pale skin and no tan...and I really liked that she punned TWILIGHT and vampires in the Deleted Scenes!

K: Yes, it was well thought out and planned for definitely.

It reminded me of the game franchise Fallout, a bit, but again with dragons and not nuclear radiation lol.

B: Those little nuances add a sense of "reality" for me. I notice them when they're present. When they're not, I get annoyed if I notice that they're NOT there, or just feel like...something's missing.

K: Yes indeed.

In the games mentioned, 50's America failed and was nuked, so people moved underground to live in vaults.

That was so cool to me, and this seemed like a very similar concept.

Still cool, I am still happy with it.

Genbaku Dome in Hiroshima

B: Kind of reminded me of right after the atomic bomb hit in Japan. You couldn't live aboveground without inhaling harsh chemicals and everything was demolished.

There's this one building in Hiroshima at the epicenter where the bomb dropped, and it's still standing with a big hole in the roof. But it's destroyed. And when people were close to buildings, etc, all that was left were their shadows. It's really creepy. I kept seeing that when I thought of the aboveground world of the future.

Shadows against buildings were all that remained of
some people after the A-Bomb detonated

K: Wow, that is creepy.

B: And very somber and humbling, too.

I can see why Connor would hate what dragons stand for and what they've done to his world and his family. I can emphasize with him when he comes to the past to change things. *waves the Connor banner again*

K: lol This is the Aiden/Seth thing all over again for us. [From Jennifer Armentrout's Covenant Series]

B: It is! You were Team Seth up until, what, DEITY? And I was ALWAYS Team Aiden.

K: Yeah, I can relate to that, but living based for revenge is not where it's at.

It's good he decided not to kill Trinity, so he's already changing. We shall see.

B: Unless you're Celaena Sardothien? ^.~ [From Sarah J. Maas' Throne of Glass Series...and she's Kat's girl, 100%!]

K: True, but she just wants to be free, though. 

Maybe take a few choice people out on the way, then peace out and live hopefully with Chaol in the country side lol.

Chaol. Not Dorian and the court politics.

B: Connor just wants to be free, too. He wants his dad to live. He doesn't want to fear living aboveground. He doesn't want any of this. He wants to change history and be FREE.

K: And not exist! That would be bad.

B: And Caleb is drinking the cray-cray water and buying into all the nut-jobs out there

K: Caleb is an impressionable young man. He just needs to find his own way, and I think he's about to do that.

B: But I like that he is okay with that. In the book, he said that if he doesn't exist, it would be okay, because things will be so much better and he's giving everyone a second chance. That's brave.

K: Reality check has happened, now he is so ready to take his own action.

B: Sacrifice one to save the world. [A quote straight from the book!]

K: That's brave, but that sucks. The self sacrifice thing is not always romantically sound.

In fact, it is romantically counter-productive.

B: Huh. Maybe you don't want to read a certain series I've been nagging you to read. Pivotal moments, I tell ya!

K: Caleb will be kicking butt and taking names for the actual for real good side now.

B: If you can't handle that type of bravery...

K: Yeah, I like to think that people like their significant others alive and well.

B: :-X

K: Stuff happens, though.

Maybe both of them will die, who knows?

Imagine the outrage.

B: Killing off a main character in the name of bravery and self-sacrifice? Hmm, I bet I can imagine the outrage a little ^.~

K: You shouldn't have to brace yourself for so many main characters dying. I am tired of it. I read A Song of Ice and Fire, I am not about this life lol.

On The Secondary Characters

K: Ummm.

How cute and lovable her grandpa is?

lol I liked him a lot.

B: We didn't spend nearly enough time with him in the book!

K: We really didn't.

I liked how at first there was a distinct role reversal between Trinity and him.

He was still wrapped up in the magic of the museum, and she was fretting over money and work.

B: And then it reverses AGAIN.

K: Yes, this is a theme.

B: Because he's not the crazy old man Trinity thinks he is.

I liked that!

K: Yes, it was brilliant.

B: Speaking of secondary characters!

What was up with Caitlin? I kept thinking we'd see Trinity's best friend. She always talked about her.

I thought there would be some plot twist or something

Especially since Trinity tried to text (call?) her!

K: Yeah, me too.

That just kind of fell into a blackhole.

B: I was waiting for it and it sort of annoyed me that nothing came of it. Maybe in a future sequel!

I like that she explains that reasoning a bit in the Deleted Scenes, at least.

K: Maybe. I was kind of let down by that.

Yeah, true.

B: Me too.

K: She said Caitlin was in Florida or something really quickly at the diner.

But what happens when she comes back and gets that message?!

Also, didn't Trinity's phone get taken or destroyed or something? Maybe nothing will come of this.

B: I can't see Trinity's old life merging with her new life if she wants to go off on this epic dance with dragons (pardon my pun)

K: Yeah, that is true.

But it might try to come back.

We shall see.

On The Cover

K: Uh, this is a bright and shiny LOOK AT ME!

B: So firey! It jumps out at you!

K: Fire and dragons, oh my!

B: There were so many books, both at BEA and just in general, released in 2013 with fire-themed covers.

THE BURNING SKY, SCORCHED, and CROWN OF MIDNIGHT, for example. All BEA books with flaming Buy Me Now covers.

K: Yes, there really were.

This one has like, the most fire, though. It is all about the fire.

And wreckage.

B: Because DRAGONS

K: Then it's like, oh btw there's a dragon.

Then you're like, ok, I'll take it.

B: That's some epic dragon, too. Looks all fierce and scary...and there's this girl just clinging to his foot.

(Although he is actually a SHE in the book...but on blindsight, I think he)

K: haha yes, with the girl!

B: I like how messed up her hair is. Even though her face is too pretty and clean for all that soot in the air, her hands have some debris on them and her hair is all mussed! This girl isn't afraid to get her hands dirty.

K: I'm looking at it now, and I'm just like "What is going on here? This looks like a terrible situation."

I can't tell if that dragon is happy she's there, kidnapped her, or what.

B: My favorite part is the title treatment. I like the riding on the letters, especially the C, R, H, and D. I like the time piece smack in the middle of the title, which you don't even see at first. Once you do, you know this is sci-fi fantasy and time travel. Those years!

K: Yes, so true.

B: Right? The dragon has these TEETH. And these glowing EYES. Looks about to breathe fire and incinerate the girl daring to grab on. But she looks safe, like she fears nothing.

K: Having read it, I know this is probably the Nether, where Conner takes her the first time.

B: This cover says so much, and yet nothing at all! But it screams, "Buy Me!" to everyone who loves a good dragon fantasy.

K: Yes, that is the verdict.

 ~*~

O F F I C I A L   I N F O:

Title: SCORCHED

Author: Mari Mancusi

Release Date: Sept. 3, 2013

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Received: For Review (BEA Copy)

SUMMARY:

Trinity 
Don’t leave me here... It starts with a whisper. At first Trinity thinks she’s going crazy. It wouldn’t be a big surprise—her grandpa firmly believes there’s a genuine dragon egg in their dusty little West Texas town. But this voice is real, and it’s begging for her protection. Even if no one else can hear it... 

Connor 
He’s come from a future scorched by dragonfire. His mission: Find the girl. Destroy the egg. Save the world. 

Caleb 
He’s everything his twin brother Connor hates: cocky, undisciplined, and obsessed with saving dragons. 

Trinity has no idea which brother to believe. All she has to go by is the voice in her head—a dragon that won’t be tamed.