Book review: Beyond Forever by Kit Rocha

Title: Beyond Forever
Author: Kit Rocha
Publication date: 24th October 2017
Genre: Dystopian/Romance
Source: Review copy
Series: Beyond (bonus novella)

Blurb: Before they were the King and Queen…
Six years before the Beyond series started, an ambitious bootlegger named Dallas O’Kane caught a very pretty thief named Lex with her hand in his safe.
The rest is very sexy history.
In Beyond Forever, follow Dallas and Lex through the turning points in their relationship, from the night he caught her trying to rob him, through his rise to successful bootlegger, to legend, to Sector Leader--with Lex always there, willing to give him the push he needs.

Beyond Forever is a prequel novella that jumps through time to tell the story of the biggest moments in the formation of the O’Kanes and their King and Queen. It will be far more enjoyable if you’ve already read Beyond Control, and contains spoilers for the entire Beyond series.

My thoughts: Beyond Forever begins with the reopening of the Broken Circle after the events at the end of the Beyond series. It then jumps back to the very beginning of Dallas O'Kane's journey in the Sectors, and his first meeting with Lex, and hops forward to critical moments in the founding of the O'Kane gang & business and Dallas's relationship with Lex, finishing a little bit before Beyond Shame begins.

As a big fan of the series, I loved this novella. It's my favourite sort of extra: when we first meet Dallas & Lex, it's obvious they've already got quite a history together, so to go back and see some of that history was great. Partly that's because they're characters who bash up against each others' personalities a lot, which is always fun to read about, especially when you know that they're going to end up very much together in the future.

There isn't a particularly strong plot line as such; instead it's a series of little glimpses at crucial moments. Each chapter looks at one critical moment, and gives enough information, context and conflict for that little bit. And it was so much fun to see Lex upsetting Dallas's world, from his personal opinions to how the business was going to run to how the gang was running. Through the little snippets you get a really good picture of how Dallas and Lex each became who they are at the beginning of the Beyond series.

As an extra to read after you're done with the series, Beyond Forever is a real treat, and I'm sure all Kit Rocha fans will love it. It's intended as a happy bonus, and it definitely delivers as that. I loved getting to know some more secrets about the founding of the O'Kane legacy, and particularly the peaks of Nessa, one of my favourite characters, when she was younger. I'm giving Beyond Forever 7 stars.

Little Blog on the Prairie

Little Blog on the Prairie by Cathleen Davit Bell:
Imagine it is 1890. No iPods, no cell phones, no jeans or tank tops, no electricity, and no indoor plumbing. This is the life that Gen Welsh has to endure for the whole summer, since her mother has decided that the family's vacation will be at a frontier-living fantasy camp near Laramie, WY. When they arrive, all modern conveniences are taken away, but Gen is granted her one wish: Clearasil. Secretly she has hidden her new cell phone in the product's box, and uses it to text her friends back home. They use her messages to start a blog, which takes off and gets media attention. Meanwhile, back at camp, a first romance and a good, clean girl rivalry are bubbling among the milking of cows and clearing of forest. As the families make their way through a difficult season, the teens discover their strengths and weaknesses.
The first time I saw this book I thought it would be cheesy. I picked it up, flipped through it, read a brief part, then put it back. I came back though 2 times and ended up buying it. I can say, it was worth it! I grew up loving Little House on the Prairie books and this played off that in a way. However, it has a much more realistic take on frontier life.

Besides the fact that the book had me laughing through a majority of it, it actually had a teens family actively involved in her life. Not only was it just the parents, but she had a younger brother too. The entire family struggles in this realistic frontier life as they learn the true hardships it brings, but grow together through the experience. That in itself is a rare find in the YA selection of books.

Besides the main character and her family, other families are introduced at the camp. One of my favorite side characters is the Goth girl Kai. Each family is introduced and does take part in the book, some more than others obviously.

While I could have done completely without the little romance that does take place (part of me feels it was just for drawing girls to the book), it doesn't overwhelm the book at all. In fact, the way Gen talks about her crush is very much like a 14 year old would.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and recommend it. I'm not one to give a book 10 stars, but this truly deserves it! It's rare to find a YA novel with parental involvement and a family that works together

The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner by Stephenie Meyer

There are authors that have done books from another character's point of view in a story.  Orson Scott Card did it for one example.  Now Stephenie Meyer is following suit with her new story about Bree Tanner. 

The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner: an Eclipse novella covers like the title states, the short life of Bree Tanner as a vampire.

From the inside of the cover:

Bree Tanner can barely remember life before she had uncannily powerful senses, superhuman reflexes, and unstoppable physical strength.  Life before she had a relentless thirst for blood...life before she became a vampire.

All Bree knows is that living with her fellow newborns has few certainties and even fewer rules: watch your back, don't draw attention to yourself, and above all, make it home by sunrise or die.  What she doesn't know: her time as an immortal is quickly running out.

Then Bree finds an unexpected friend in Diego, a newborn just as curious as Bree about their mysterious creator, whom they know only as "her".  As they come to realize that the newborns are pawns in a game larger than anything they could have imagined, Bree and Diego must choose sides and decide whom to trust.  But when everything you know about vampires is based on a lie, how do you find the truth?

Stephenie Meyer did a great job creating Bree's personality in this story.  When I first read about Bree in Eclipse, a long time ago, I remember liking Bree's character although she is in it for just a second at the end.  This story really sums up how living like a newborn was like.  Stephenie showed us a bit through Jasper's eyes but this small novella really shows the curiousity that stems from these newly created vampires and what precautions were taken from Riley and Victoria as they planned their revenge against Bella and Edward.

This novella creates a bit of sympathy in your heart for Bree.  It's like when you watch Extreme Makeover: Home Edition on ABC, that tears a bit at your heartstrings.  Learning through Bree's eyes, the thirst she has for blood, the curiosity it is to be a newborn, and living in squalor the way she is, makes you wish she had lived at the end of Eclipse to see how she'd really turn out.  Would she have gone off on her own?  Would she have tried the vegetarian lifestyle the Cullens led? 

Sorry for the short review.  This is a short story and I think if I say anymore, you won't feel that same emotion that I felt through Stephenie's writing and through Bree's eyes when you read through it.

You can read it for free on breetanner.com.  Also, if you purchase the book, $1 of every book sold will be donated to the American Red Cross.  I love the idea of it and I also have to say, "Don't you just love the cover of this story?"  I know I do.  I hope you go read it. It's really quick, only 178 pages long and still addictive to read.