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Title: Torn
Author: Avery Hastings
Series: The Feuds #2
Publication: July 21st 2015 by St. Martin's Griffin
Genre: Young Adult ~ Dystopia
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Kobo
Rating: 3/5
Review copy was provided in exchange for an honest review.
In an America split into the genetically superior and inferior, a fiercely ambitious ballerina and a boy from the wrong side of the tracks must stop a deadly virus that is spreading quickly.
Determined to escape from TOR-N, a corrupt Narxis research center, Davis meets another recovered patient, Mercer, whose sweet smile and quirky sense of humor give her hope in humanity again—and a way out. As they make a perilous journey seeking clues that could lead to a cure, Davis and Mercer's friendship begins to evolve into something more... but she's still struggling to let go of her feelings for Cole, whom she believes is dead.
Meanwhile, Cole has plans to change his identity in order to compete in the Olympiads—where Imps have now been invited to compete against Priors. He begins training with Mari, the intense and rebellious daughter of a retired fighter, but through trials and tests that are both exhausting and exhilarating, he finds himself in over his head—literally.
Will both Davis and Cole have the strength to resist temptation? Will they have the courage to face the answers they're seeking? Will their love survive across the divide?
I enjoyed reading Torn. It wasn't amazing or anything but I liked it a bit more than Feuds. The ending, though, left me with some questions. If it wasn't for that I'd probably given it four stars.
In this sequal Davis and Cole were pretty much seperate until the end (*sniffles*). One the one hand I liked most of that because they had to find their own path back to each other, each having struggles they had to face, but on the other hand I had wished they'd spend a little more time together because I missed seeing them together.
At the start of the book Davis is still stuck at TOR-N, which is an awful place to be with corrupt doctors, terrible living conditions and people dying. I kind of wished that the time spend at TOR-N was more written about more extensively about the months she spend there.
In the.She met Mercer there who Davis bonds with and eventually escapes TOR-N with. I really really really disliked Mercer. I just knew he was lying about some things and I just hated the little shit.
Cole in the meantime is in hiding and trying to do everything he can to go back to Davis, which means competing in the Olympiads. He starts training and even takes over his friend Brent's identity to be able to enter. I must admit I was more curious about Cole than Davis, although I enjoyed both their points of view.
Some things felt a little rushed and not explained enough in the story. And then the ending felt all too easy and wrapped up. I'm not sure there will be another book because everything was resolved. I guess I didn't like it in the end that for the whole book Davis and Cole weren't together. But all in all, I really did enjoy most of the story. The writing, although sometimes rushed, was pretty good. I do hope another book will come, though, but who knows!
About the Author:
Avery Hastings is an author and former book editor from New York City. Avery grew up in Ohio, graduated in 2006 from the University of Notre Dame and earned her MFA from the New School in 2008. When she's not reading or writing, Avery can usually be spotted lying around in the park with her affable dog. Like her protagonists, she knows how to throw a powerful right hook and once dreamed of becoming a ballerina. In addition to New York, Avery has recently lived in Mumbai and Paris, but is happy to call Brooklyn home (for now).
Title: Feuds
Author: Avery Hastings
Series: Feuds #1
Publication: September 2nd 2014 by St. Martin's Griffin
Genre: Young Adult ~ Dystopia
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Kobo | iBooks | Paper Lantern Lit
Cover Rating: 5/5
Overall Rating: 3/5
Review copy provided in exchange for an honest review.
In this breathless story of impossible love, perfection comes at a deadly cost.
For Davis Morrow, perfection is a daily reality. Like all Priors, Davis has spent her whole life primed to be smarter, stronger, and more graceful than the lowly Imperfects, or “Imps.” A fiercely ambitious ballerina, Davis is only a few weeks away from qualifying for the Olympiads and finally living up to her mother’s legacy when she meets Cole, a mysterious boy who leaves her with more questions each time he disappears.
Davis has no idea that Cole has his own agenda, or that he’s a rising star in the FEUDS, an underground fighting ring where Priors gamble on Imps. Cole has every reason to hate Davis—her father’s campaign hinges on the total segregation of the Imps and Priors—but despite his best efforts, Cole finds himself as drawn to Davis as she is to him.
Then Narxis, a deadly virus, takes its hold--and Davis’s friends start dying. When the Priors refuse to acknowledge the epidemic, Davis has no one to turn to but Cole. Falling in love was never part of their plan, but their love may be the only thing that can save her world...in Avery Hastings's Feuds.
Feuds was an enjoyable but kind of predictable dystopian book, though there were some twists that were pretty good, I thought. I think I would've liked the book a bit more if it wasn't for the insta-love. I thought the relationship between Davis and Cole could've been done better because everything went so fast. And there were kisses. Lots of kisses. Not that there's anything wrong with that.
Aside from the romance that wasn't really the best for me, I did like this book. I thought for a dystopian book it was pretty original because let's be honest, there are so many books in this genre so you've got to be pretty good to come up with new dystopian societies.
I loved the fact that this book had two different points of view. I loooove different povs, okay? Many don't but I do. Especially guy povs. Cole was my favorite because Davis sometimes kind of annoyed me. I liked her but I felt like she needed to get her priorities straight, which in the end she did.
I liked the concept of the mysterious Narxis disease and how only Priors get it. It gave the book a little something extra to focus on. And like I said before there are some unexpected twists. Nothing too big, in my opinion but unexpected enough to give me pause.
Feuds by Avery Hastings was likable. I didn't love it because I had wanted a little more character and world-building. But overall it was pretty enjoyable and a fast read. And I definitely want to read the next book because the ending was unexpected. Cliffhanger, people!
About the Author:
Avery Hastings is an author and former book editor from New York City. Avery grew up in Ohio, graduated in 2006 from the University of Notre Dame and earned her MFA from the New School in 2008. When she's not reading or writing, Avery can usually be spotted lying around in the park with her affable dog. Like her protagonists, she knows how to throw a powerful right hook and once dreamed of becoming a ballerina. In addition to New York, Avery has recently lived in Mumbai and Paris, but is happy to call Brooklyn home (for now).
