Review: Origin by Jessica Khoury

Title: Origin

Author: Jessica Khoury

Genre: YA Sci-Fi

Source: Purchased  

Fave Quote(s):

"Get your emotions under control, Pia. Keep your eye on the goal, not the steps you must take to reach it. The goal is everything. The steps are nothing. No matter how difficult the journey is, the goal is always worth it."

~~~~~~

"Love makes you weak. It distracts you from the important things. It can make you lose sight of the objective." 

~~~~~~

Origin on Goodreads

I read Origin by Jessica Khoury a few weeks ago. It was a really great read but it kind of left me with a book hangover. And it took me a while to get my thoughts together to get my post written. Bottom line is the great should be at the top of your TBR pile!

I was thoroughly impressed by Origin. I had the chance to see author Jessica Khoury when she was at the Decatur Book Festival this past year. She looked very young and as it turns out she is 22 years old! (Holy crap! I'm 28, what I am I doing with my life! But I digress.) 

Jessica Khoury is on the far left side at the Decatur Book Fest Panel (2012). See the rest of my DBF post.

Anyway, from the one panel I saw her on and the few moments of talking with her while she signed my book she seemed very mature and wise beyond her years. Still I wasn't sure what to expect from her debut novel. I was pleasantly surprised with just how good this novel was--not for a 22 year old, not for a debut novel but just as a book in general. Origin is really a great read.

In Origin there is enough  tragic "love story" for the romantic in me. Some beautifully touching moments as well as heart pounding fight and/or flight moments. There's lots of science type stuff for nerd in me but not so over my head I didn't get it. It was the perfect mix really.

I like that Origin posed some difficult ethical questions. And I appreciated how we discovered all the pros and cons of the experiment along with the main character, Pia. 

Part way through the book I was totally on board with what was going on with Little Cam, sure it was odd but yeah whatevs they are making some crazy cool scientific advancements. But as we progressed through the novel and more and more of the true nature of Little Cam was being exposed I was ready to go down to the Amazon rain forest shut it down myself.

If you like Beth Revis' books I think you would probably like Origin, only Origin is in the jungle not space. But they have a similar sci-fi feel. I give Origin 5 out of 5 stars. The signs of a good book: it left me with a book hangover for a couple of days and challenged me to think about demanding ethical choices.

Ms. Khoury did confirm on Twitter that she is working on another book. She tweeted, "It will be a companion novel to Origin--same world, new characters, new setting, new science. =)" And that the "next book will be out (tentatively) next winter." YAY!!! I'm so psyched, I can't wait to read more.

The book trailer just gives you a glimpse at the Origin world. Hello, hot jungle boy!

Teaser Tuesday: The Diviners (Feb 5)

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of 

Should Be Reading.

Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read

• Open to a random page

• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

I've been listening to the audio book version of The Diviners for about a week now. Let me just say, this is one of the scariest, most suspenseful books I've ever listened to/read. It's a great story, it just scares the socks off me during my commute to work! I'm looking forward to the end of this book to see WHAT is really going on and what's going to happen!

"The ladies set to squabbling about the various interpretations of dreams and possible number combinations. No one could ever agree on any one right answer. That's part of what made the game so exciting--all those possibilities."

~from The Diviners by Libba Bray~

Book Tour Guest Post: Julian Rosado-Machain author of Guardians Inc

Today we, here in Alli's World, have the pleasure of hosting a guest post written by author Julian Rosado-Machain. Reading his guest post about the book and his background got me excited about his book The Cypher! I hope you enjoy his post. 

And a HUGE thank you to Julian for stopping by today!

A chance reading of a newspaper ad will send 16 year old Thomas Byrne into the world within our world.  Following the ad he will find Guardians Incorporated. A seven thousand year old organization charged with protecting the balance between Magic and technology.  Through their guidance technology has kept Magic at bay since the Renaissance, but the balance is shifting and soon all those creatures we've driven into myth and legend will come back with a vengeance.  To protect the present, Guardians Incorporated needs to know the future and to unlock the future they need a cypher.

10 Things You Didn’t Know About Guardians Inc.

The Guardians Inc. storyline is not a trilogy, but a series of books 

Before writing Book 1: The Cypher, I had already developed all story and character arcs for the whole series, and what I wanted to explore on each book. This process took about two years. 

The Ending of the Series is already written. 

Each book seeds the next books, so things, enemies and storylines will appear and reappear all over in the complete series.

 There are allusions and "Tips o' the hat" to many books, writers and movies I admire seeded throughout the Books. From The Jungle Book to The Last Starfighter. Most of them are done quite openly, even referenced by name, but some are very cryptic.

Guardians Inc. relies heavily on historic figures and events. I research thoroughly before referencing a place or an event.

The same applies to technology, I do try to do as much research as I can before writing about technology. (although, like Thomas, theoretical physics are beyond my full understanding!) 

One of the evil characters in Cypher: THE MAN IN THE TRENCHCOAT, got its own interactive book app for the ipad as an illustrated children's book.  

ALL storylines will get closure. I promise.

As time progresses in the story and Thomas gets older, dangers, moral dilemmas, and romantic situations will get rougher, tougher and more... romantic! 

Get the book now!

Amazon (ebook is free throughout the tour)

Barnes &Noble (ebook is free throughout the tour)

Book 2 is also now available: 

Amazon

Julian Rosado-Machain has enjoyed pizza in three continents, BA in Graphic Design, worked building armored vehicles, handcrafted alebrijes, owned a restaurant and swears that he has seen at least one ghost.  A Mexico City native he now lives in San Diego, California and enjoys the sun with his wife, three children and cat.

Guardians Inc. The Cypher is the first book in a series that describes the creatures and powers that live in the world within our world.

Website

Facebook

The Guardians Inc. Blog

10 Things You Didn’t Know About Julian Rosado-Machain

English is not my native language, all the books are edited by a professional editor.

I can't write in Spanish! I did try I swear...

I've stopped trying to explain to my friends or people I meet what Guardians Inc. is about. Since it has mythology, fantasy, alternate history and Science Fiction I was told many times that I sounded like a crazy person. 

I have two older brothers, one is a sci-fi fan, the other is a fantasy hard-core fan, both tried to convert me to their ways... I ended up right in the middle.

I rely heavily on the opinion of a couple of friends to finalize the first draft of each book and on my editor to help me fix all those grammar problems and other stuff,- Like run on sentences... 

I am unabashedly, irrevocably, uninequibably a cat person.

I spell wrong and create words all the time... I even say them wrong some times.  

The first book I read in English was Edgar Rice Burroughs' The Princess of Mars. The first book I read when I fully understood English was the same.

I was born in Washington D.C. in the Walter Reed Army Medical Hospital. I have an American birth certificate, but I can't be a U.S. Citizen because my dad was in a diplomatic mission in the U.S. so both countries consider me as being born inside Mexican embassy grounds AKA Mexico. 

Yes it is complicated and I'm quite confused about it too.

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Sunday Scripture

Happy Sunday y'all! I hope you are all enjoying the weekend to the fullest. I have to work but that's okay as I am thankful to have a job, especially one I enjoy (most times :-).

I hope the title of this post didn't scare anyone off. I don't intend on preaching or anything like that. I just wanted to share some encouragement from the most important book in Alli's World!

I'm also sharing a photo from my trip last weekend to Saint Simon's Island, Georgia. I went with my mom and sister for the ladies retreat from our church. It was a wonderful refreshing and relaxing time. Sometimes it's good to just get away!

In other news:

MrCaptKirk and myself have plans to attend TWO bookish events in the next two weeks. The first is Dark Days in Decatur, GA at The Little Shop of Stories on February 5th. And then on February 12th, it's the Breathless Tour in Greenville, SC hosted by Fiction Addiction! So fun times in store and recap and photo posts to follow here on Alli's World!

Do you guys have any good plans for the week? I'd love to hear about them in the comments! I hope we all have a FABULOUS week!!

Lastly, back to the original intent of my post:

"Let the heavens be glad, and the earth rejoice! Let the sea and everything in it shout his praise!" Psalm 96:11 NLT

Warm Bodies: The Movie

Happy movie release day to Warm Bodies!

MrCaptKirk and I had the chance to see a {free} pre-screening of Warm Bodies on January 17, thanks to Summit Entertainment, gofobo.com, and Regal. (Oh, and Lady Reader) for letting me know about the screening in the first place.) Shout outs complete.

My thoughts on Warm Bodies, the movie: 

I was really excited about seeing this film because 1. It's based off of a book I had heard of it (and read literally RIGHT before the screening, see my review of the book). 2. Zombies. (That's all that needs to be said really.) 3. Summit Entertainment. (I love them, they brought me Twilight and therefore can do no wrong in my eyes.)

The movie was zombie-rific! It was very similar to the book, it stayed true to most of the major elements. There were of course some changes, that is to be expected. *Remember the book and the movie (or tv show, etc) are two separate entities to be enjoyed. They are like companions than twins. Besides, if you read the book then you really don't want the movie to be exactly the same. That would be boring!* 

Also, somehow we can always do MORE with our imaginations than is ever possible on film. Not to sound cliche but there's just no limitations to imagination like there would be in film making. The only real "negative" was the movie did feel a little rushed compared to the book, but again I think that is something that just can't be helped.

I think those who have not read the book will certainly enjoy the movie. It's totally humorous. The main character R has some interesting inner monologue going on. His opposite, Julie, is able to pull off being pretty, strong and little vulnerable all at once. Supporting characters M and Nora provide tons of comic relief. Seriously the whole theater cracked up at M more than once.

I'm clearly not a movie critic but I really dig this movie. If you like zombies and/or love stories and/or comedy, I think there is a good chance you'd enjoy the Warm Bodies movie too. I don't think it'll be a critically acclaimed award winner but I'd totally pay my $8 and go see it again! There is some adult language and violence. This movie should be ok older teens (keep in mind I'm not a parent so you'll have to make your own judgement calls there ;).


MrCaptKirk's thoughts on the movie:

When I first saw anything on Warm bodies, and found out that it was a zombie movie I was expecting a typical zombie movie... the living vs the dead.  Although Warm bodies does have that, I would almost classify the movie as a romantic comedy.  The story follows a zombie name R, who is...different.  I can only describe him as a zombie who wants more than just brain.  After running into Julie on a 'hunting trip' R falls hard for her.  As the story continues there are the ups and downs in the relationship... but I don't want to ruin anything for you, so moving on... 

On of the main thoughts I got from Warm Bodies, is that hope is a powerful emotion, one that I would say one of the most important emotions to the human race.  In the movie, the really the only thing that separates humans from zombies, besides the obvious, is hope.  Humans have hope, zombies are just there, they don't have any drive other than hunger.  As the movie progresses R finds hope, he falls in love with Julie and has hope for something between them.  I think this is one of best adaptations of a zombie movie in recent past.

I give this movie 4.5 stars out of 5 because it makes you think.

*****

So...there you have it folks. The Kirks say GO see Warm Bodies and enjoy the zombie goodness! Let us know if you see and what you think!

Book Trailer Thursday

In honor of the movie coming out tomorrow, today in Alli's World we are watching the BOOK trailer for Warm Bodies! Did you see my review of the book yesterday? And stay tuned the Mr's and my review of the movie will be up tomorrow!

Book Review: Warm Bodies

Title: Warm Bodies

Author: Isaac Marion

Source: Purchased

Fave Quote(s):

"I want to change my punctuation. I long for exclamation marks, but I'm drowning in ellipses."

Find Warm Bodies on Goodreads.

So. I like zombies. I don't really have a good reason. They are just "walking dead" but I think what I like most about zombies is there is an element of hopefulness. I just always want to find a cure zombie-ism. You know, it's like their gone but not all the way gone so maybe, just maybe, we can fix them. And that's about the point in the movie/tv show/book that my brain would become a snack for zombie.

Some of the things that I find fascinating about the zombie/dystopian/post apocalyptic genre (and this totally held true for Warm Bodies and reading Warm Bodies is what got me thinking about it in the first place) are the questions they pose and force you to think about if you go just a step or two beyond the surface.

Such as:  

~The question of humanity, what is it and who actually has it?

~What would you do to protect and to preserve your life and the people you love, are you willing to sacrifice, what and who are you willing to sacrifice?

~The question of morality, what is right and wrong and are you prepared to change your definitions?

Back to specifically Warm Bodies, I liked it's unique approach to the zombie condition. Warm Bodies suggests that zombies do have some thought and are capable of slightly more than stumbling around, moaning, looking for brains to munch. The zombies in Warm Bodies made their own community and families of sort.

The main character, R, is a zombie. Warm Bodies is told from R's zombie prospective, which was awesome. (Cause the only other zombie stories/shows/movies I'm familiar with show the human perspective with no regard to how the zombie might feel.) 

Also, I am sucker for an impossible love story. And what's more impossible than a zombie romance? But it WORKED soooo well! And really, isn't redeeming love the best?? (I had a crush on an {obviously} fictional, zombie. *Sigh* I love boys in books, what can I say.)

Warm Bodies is funny, sad, thought provoking and even optimistic. I think that hopefulness is one of the big reasons I enjoyed Warm Bodies as much as I did. There is R's hopefulness that there is something more than being a zombie, there is "the humans" hopefulness for a better life, and the collective hopefulness once they join forces to create a new kind of existence.

I give Warm Bodies 5 out of 5 stars. I totally recommend this book for older teens and up. There is some adult language, themes (but not too bad), and of course zombie violence.