Surrender Blog Tour: review and giveaway

Fantastic dystopian is on tap at our blog today as we host the Possession Blog Tour (presented by AToMR Blog Tours). Possession and Surrender have certainly made us fans of author Elana Johnson. Find the total tour listing here.

Possession (Possession, Book One) by Elana Johnson

YA dystopian*Hardcover & e-book, 416 pages

Published June 7th 2011 by Simon & Schuster

Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository

Vi knows the Rule: Girls don't walk with boys, and they never even think about kissing them. But no one makes Vi want to break the Rules more than Zenn...and since the Thinkers have chosen him as Vi's future match, how much trouble can one kiss cause? The Thinkers may have brainwashed the rest of the population, but Vi is determined to think for herself.

But the Thinkers are unusually persuasive, and they're set on convincing Vi to become one of them...starting by brainwashing Zenn. Vi can't leave Zenn in the Thinkers' hands, but she's wary of joining the rebellion, especially since that means teaming up with Jag. Jag is egotistical, charismatic, and dangerous--everything Zenn's not. Vi can't quite trust Jag and can't quite resist him, but she also can't give up on Zenn.

This is a game of control or be controlled. And Vi has no choice but to play.

Surrender (Possession #2) by Elana Johnson

YA dystopian*Hardcover & e-book, 480 pages

Published June 5th 2012 by Simon Pulse (first published June 1st 2012)

Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble| The Book Depository

Forbidden love, intoxicating power, and the terror of control…

Raine has always been a good girl. She lives by the rules in Freedom. After all, they are her father’s rules: He’s the Director. It’s because of him that Raine is willing to use her talent—a power so dangerous, no one else is allowed to know about it. Not even her roommate, Vi.

All of that changes when Raine falls for Gunner. Raine’s got every reason in the world to stay away from Gunn, but she just can’t. Especially when she discovers his connection to Vi’s boyfriend, Zenn. Raine has never known anyone as heavily brainwashed as Vi. Raine’s father expects her to spy on Vi and report back to him. But Raine is beginning to wonder what Vi knows that her father is so anxious to keep hidden, and what might happen if she helps Vi remember it. She’s even starting to suspect Vi’s secrets might involve Freedom’s newest prisoner, the rebel Jag Barque....

About the author:

Elana Johnson

Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Elana wishes she could experience her first kiss again, tell the mean girl where to shove it, and have cool superpowers like reading minds and controlling fire. To fulfill her desires, she writes young adult science fiction and fantasy.

Using her boring human powers, she graduated from Southern Utah University with Summa Cum Laude honors in Elementary Education with a minor in Mathematics. She started her teaching career as an upper grade music and art specialist. After a four-year stint in 3rd grade, she is currently the technology specialist.

In her world, Oreos and bacon would be the only food groups. Everyone would drive 10 over the speed limit. Winter would be eliminated as a season, and Jeff Probst would be President. As it is, she lives with her husband and two kids in central Utah, gets cited when she drives too fast and eats Oreos only on special occasions.

Review:

“Sometimes life doesn't allow us to be free to fly wherever we'd like.” From page one of Possession, I was hooked. The futuristic/dystopian world Vi described as she walks with good boyfriend Zenn and then is arrested, intrigued me. Vi intrigued me. Her thoughts, her outlook on things, her likes, dislikes, this girl was sassy, interesting and cool. After reading so many dystopian YA novels (with a HUGE pile still to get through), as a group they have made me a believer that this genre is definitely around to stay. After roaring through the first two books in this series, Elana Johnson is on my Top Ten list of favorite authors.

Her ease of writing, the steady pace, those twists and surprising turns, I loved how I would begin to think a certain way and then, BAM! The author shifted things. I was torn about my feelings for Jag. When Vi's with him, he could be nice but when he's mean--don't get me started. In a world where people are split into factions with names like Goodies and Thinkers, there are those who have mind control abilities and other powers, like Vi and Jag. Torn between Zenn and Jag, I need to see where Vi goes with her boyfriends and life situations.

Having Book Two, Surrender, close by made jumping back into Vi's world easy. And the first surprise was to find out this is told from two other characters, Raine and Gunner. Vi is her roommate. Again, these characters have such cool abilities (voice contro? tech? wow!), more twists and surprises, and a baddie I really disliked. And that cliffhanger ending--where did that come from? I don't know but I need the next book. The Possession novels make Elana Johnson's series incredibly addicting to book junkies. If you like dystopian, crave something with a different hook, I have to recommend this series to readers.

Ratings: Both books: 4

Giveaway: 

The author is giving away (1) print copy of POSSESSION, SURRENDER, and an eBook copy of REGRET (a related short story) to US/Canada residents.

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