Blog tour: The Body Electric by Beth Revis with review and #giveaway

Welcome on this Monday, another start to a new week and a snow day where we live in the Hudson Valley. We are one of today's stops on The Body Electric Blog Tour. I'll admit to not being much of a sci-fi reader, I do enjoy many of the genre's movies, but after reading this novel by Beth Revis I am rethinking my choices when it comes to sci-fi books. This YA novel was so good and so cool, I'm glad I chose to read it. Please keep reading to find out about this latest book by Revis and enter the giveaway.

The Body Electric by Beth Revis
Published by: Scripturient Books
Publication date: October 6th 2014
Genres: Science Fiction, Young Adult

Synopsis:

The future world is at peace.

Ella Shepherd has dedicated her life to using her unique gift—the ability to enter people’s dreams and memories using technology developed by her mother—to help others relive their happy memories.

But not all is at it seems.

Ella starts seeing impossible things—images of her dead father, warnings of who she cannot trust. Her government recruits her to spy on a rebel group, using her ability to experience—and influence—the memories of traitors. But the leader of the rebels claims they used to be in love—even though Ella’s never met him before in her life. Which can only mean one thing…

Someone’s altered her memory.

Ella’s gift is enough to overthrow a corrupt government or crush a growing rebel group. She is the key to stopping a war she didn’t even know was happening. But if someone else has been inside Ella’s head, she cannot trust her own memories, thoughts, or feelings.

Purchase: Amazon

The Body Electric is the first book I have read by Beth Revis. I believe I might have read a short story or two by the author, but this is my first foray with a long work and what a long work it is. The opening immediately drew me in and I loved how the chapters were short and to the point. The worldbuilding of this new earth was incredibly cool--this New Venice erected on a bridge to house the government created after the last war came alive in my mind as I read the rich descriptions. What would it be like to walk through the Central Gardens magnificent as they sound? 

Main character and heroine Ella is an interesting young woman. Easily sympathetic, she's lost her beloved father to a terrorist attack and her mom is terminally ill, her condition quickly worsening. Both of her parents were creative scientists, working on and implementing historical projects like her mother's reverie company. Imagine being able to lay down and sink back into a precious memory to relive it once again fully realized? Yet, in this world, peace comes with a price and some want to change the way things run. The story has plenty of mysteries from the strange guy Ella meets on a walk to the images and hallucinations she has about her dad. I especially enjoyed finding out more about Ella's newly discovered ability to enter into someone's reverie sessions and the way the government wants to use her.

I really liked The Body Electric. The mysteries, the discoveries, the science, even the romance. The author has a great way with description and the short chapters kept the pace steady and strong. By the end I found some questions still remained about the machinations of the way the science runs. I wondered why Ella began "seeing" her dad at all and some other things. The writing was so smooth and strong, the ease with which I fell into reading the book was marvelous and made for quite an unexpected and joyful experience. I'm so glad I was able to discover this author and her intriguing, addictive world of androids, reveries, mysteries, and a guy named Jack. I need to check out the other books in this wonderful world.

Rating: 4

Cover comment:

I like the silhouette and the colors used. It's different and I'm glad she's not wearing a prom dress.

Book source:

I received a promotional copy in exchange for my honest review during a blog tour.

AUTHOR BIO:

Beth Revis is the NY Times bestselling author of the Across the Universe series. The complete trilogy is now available in more than 20 languages. A native of North Carolina, Beth’s most recent book is The Body Electric, which tells the story of what was happening on Earth while the characters of Across the Universe were in space.

Author links: website | Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter

Giveaway:

 Tour-wide giveaway (US/CAN)

• Complete signed trilogy of the Across the Universe series
• A signed copy of The Body Electric
• An Across the Universe branded water bottle

a Rafflecopter giveaway