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| Follow the BURN OUT Tour!
Friday, April 18,
2014
The Book Rat
guest post and giveaway
Books by Pamela Thompson
review and giveaway
Saturday, April
19, 2014
Children's Book Review Blog
guest post and
giveaway
A Backwards Story
review and giveaway
Sunday, April 20,
2014
Bittersweet Enchantment
Q&A and giveaway
Monday, April 21,
2014
Jean Book Nerd
Q&A and giveaway
Tuesday, April 22,
2014
Books with Bite
review and giveaway
Wednesday, April
23, 2014
The Bookshelf Sophisticate
guest post and giveaway
Books for Company
giveaway only
Thursday, April
24, 2014
Lenore Applehans
Q&A and giveaway
Friday, April 25,
2014
Karin's Book Nook
giveaway only
Michelle and Leslie's Book Picks
review and giveaway
Saturday, April
26, 2014
Jenna Does Books
Q&A and giveaway
Sunday, April 27,
2014
A Dream within a Dream
guest post and giveaway
Monday, April 28,
2014
Book Chic Club
Q&A and giveaway
Curling Up with a Good Book
review and giveaway
Tuesday, April 29,
2014
Live To Read
Q&A and giveaway
The Cozy Reader
review and giveaway
|
Keep reading to enter to win your own copy of BURN OUT!
SIX MONTHS AND COUNTING, YET NOT A whisper of a fellow human to be found. I stared down at the small device attached to my wrist. The locator light on my Infinity, which would blink if anyone on the planet logged on to GlobalNet, taunted me with its perpetual darkness. Though it felt like an exercise in futility, I checked it multiple times a day due to equal parts habit and desperation. Despite my perseverance, bad thoughts surfaced again. I had to continually distract myself from my worst fear--that I was the last girl on earth.
O P E N I N G H O O K:
(Page 12, US e-ARC edition)
There isn't as much sci-fi in YA as readers would like. Rather than whet appetites, Beth Revis' recently-released Across the Universe trilogy fueled the fire. The dystopian trend has also renewed interest in YA sci-fi, and as that fad begins to oversaturate the market, post-apocalyptic novels are becoming more popular than ever. Today, Kat is reviewing another book in the genre, DARK EDEN by Chris Beckett, so you have a chance to win two sci-fi books this weekend. Lucky you!
BURN OUT also comes at an important time when YA novels are being scrutinized for their lack of diversity. BURN OUT is pretty awesome because it is implied that the main character is Asian without ever focusing on the fact. Tora's nationality does not define her. Readers have been asking, no, begging, the publishing industry to publish more stories where race isn't a part of the story itself, but to have more diverse characters kicking ass. Well, Kristi Helvig offers you BURN OUT! I am assuming (and I may, in truth, be completely wrong) that Tora is of Japanese descent. For one thing, her name is Tora. Tora is the Japanese word for Tiger. It's also a word for "attack" (which is great when you want someone as tough as our Tora!). At one point, Tora looks in the mirror and her hair is described as "dark." So while nothing is ever outwardly stated, that's also the point. That's what readers want. Tora's heritage shouldn't matter in the grand scheme of things--and it doesn't.
And it is awesome.
Tora lives up to her namesake, too. She's tough and fierce; she's determined to live even though all the odds are against her. She's bunkered down on a dying planet. The sun has destroyed everything, from oceans to the amount of air. Earth is one big landmass, the supercontinent Pangaea all over again. Step outside for more than a minute and you can fry to death. Tora is the last surviving member of her family. Her father's been murdered, and her mother and sister are both dead as well. In fact, Tora might just be the only surviving person on the planet, since her dad had the wealth and knowledge to keep his family alive despite the odds. But water resources and limited air supply won't last much longer, maybe another six months tops. Tora won't live to see her eighteenth birthday. When a former family friend comes to claim Tora's father's legacy--and brings the government back to Earth on his heels--Tora has the chance to escape to a new planet brimming with life, to survive. The only catch? She needs to trade in everything her father died to protect. Is survival worth the high cost?
Tora is one girl who won't go down without a fight. She's strong-willed and headstrong. She's going to do things her way, no matter the consequences. It's easy to respect and root for her. She doesn't trust anyone, not Markus the traitor, not the renegade Captain Kale, and certainly not the heart-poundingly gorgeous James. Every time she thinks she can let her guard down for a second, she's betrayed anew. Tora can only trust herself. She comes alive in a way no other character does, though it will be interesting to see how supporting characters become fleshed-out in the next novel. There's a lot more going on than what meets the eye. I have a couple of theories myself and will be interested to see the direction Tora's path takes us in the future.
~*~
C O V E R D E S I G N:
There's a dark, adrenaline-inducing feel to this cover, isn't there?
Where is she going? Is it safe? Is this a thriller?? What's at stake?
The lightning and shadows create interesting color combinations that I like staring at, and it takes on a fancy shine of its own in person!
I also like that the title font is in two different colors, making it stand out! Using a gradient for the author's name was also a smart design choice, reflecting the colors of the image and the way the title is two different colors. It's very pleasing to the eye!
Where is she going? Is it safe? Is this a thriller?? What's at stake?
The lightning and shadows create interesting color combinations that I like staring at, and it takes on a fancy shine of its own in person!
I also like that the title font is in two different colors, making it stand out! Using a gradient for the author's name was also a smart design choice, reflecting the colors of the image and the way the title is two different colors. It's very pleasing to the eye!
~*~
O F F I C I A L I N F O:
Title: BURN OUT
Author: Kristi Helvig
Release Date: April 8, 2014
Publisher: Egmont USA
Received: For Review
Received: For Review
SUMMARY:
"A scorching series opener not to be missed." - Kirkus
A futuristic blend of Beth Revis's ACROSS THE UNIVERSE and Lenore Appelhans's LEVEL 2, BURN OUT will satisfy the growing desire for science fiction with a thrilling story of survival, intrigue, and adventure.
Most people want to save the world; seventeen-year-old Tora Reynolds just wants to get the hell off of it. One of the last survivors in Earth's final years, Tora yearns to escape the wasteland her planet has become after the sun turns "red giant," but discovers her fellow survivors are even deadlier than the hostile environment.
Holed up in an underground shelter, Tora is alone--her brilliant scientist father murdered, her mother and sister burned to death. She dreams of living on a planet with oceans, plants, and animals. Unfortunately, the oceans dried out ages ago, the only plants are giant cacti with deadly spines, and her pet, Trigger, is a gun--one of the bio-energetic weapons her father created for the government before his conscience kicked in.
When family friend, Markus, arrives with mercenaries to take the weapons by force, Tora's fury turns to fear when government ships descend in an attempt to kill them all. She forges an unlikely alliance with Markus and his rag-tag group of raiders, including a smart but quiet soldier named James. Tora must quickly figure out who she can trust, as she must choose between saving herself by giving up the guns or honoring her father's request to save humanity from the most lethal weapons in existence.
A futuristic blend of Beth Revis's ACROSS THE UNIVERSE and Lenore Appelhans's LEVEL 2, BURN OUT will satisfy the growing desire for science fiction with a thrilling story of survival, intrigue, and adventure.
Most people want to save the world; seventeen-year-old Tora Reynolds just wants to get the hell off of it. One of the last survivors in Earth's final years, Tora yearns to escape the wasteland her planet has become after the sun turns "red giant," but discovers her fellow survivors are even deadlier than the hostile environment.
Holed up in an underground shelter, Tora is alone--her brilliant scientist father murdered, her mother and sister burned to death. She dreams of living on a planet with oceans, plants, and animals. Unfortunately, the oceans dried out ages ago, the only plants are giant cacti with deadly spines, and her pet, Trigger, is a gun--one of the bio-energetic weapons her father created for the government before his conscience kicked in.
When family friend, Markus, arrives with mercenaries to take the weapons by force, Tora's fury turns to fear when government ships descend in an attempt to kill them all. She forges an unlikely alliance with Markus and his rag-tag group of raiders, including a smart but quiet soldier named James. Tora must quickly figure out who she can trust, as she must choose between saving herself by giving up the guns or honoring her father's request to save humanity from the most lethal weapons in existence.
~*~
****Giveaway*****
Ready to go up into space?
You could win a copy of
BURN OUT by Kristi Helvig!
ends 5/9
US/CA only!
You could win a copy of
BURN OUT by Kristi Helvig!
ends 5/9
US/CA only!
Well, if I were to be running my butt off to get away from a dying Earth, I'd have to have someone with me, like a friend or even a horse, maybe a volleyball (Castaway style with Tom Hanks XD).
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ReplyDeleteThank you for this wonderful opportunity. I've wanted to read this book so much! I have heard so much about it. I would bring with me my children and husband. Thank yoU!
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