Trailers! Code Name Verity, Seraphina, The Paladin Prophecy, and Fear

It's that time of week again. I was looking at my posts, trying to insert some variety and decided to start looking at more book trailers.

First off, there's Code Name Verity's trailer. I'm reading the book right now and so far, it's pretty good.



This next one looks so good. I hadn't heard much about Seraphina beforehand but wow, this trailer makes it seem like a must read. Maybe I'll finally find a dragon book that I'll love?




You know what I love about YouTube? Discovering new books through their awesome trailers. Seriously, sometimes a book cover makes me read a book. Other times it's a book trailer. This trailer for The Paladin Prophecy looks so crazy awesome. I'll probably read the book just because I love the trailer (and the premise). See for yourself.




So, this isn't a trailer but OMG IT'S SO AWESOME. I had to include it. I'm a huge, enormous, mega fan of Michael Grant's Gone series and this is a pretty fun interactive video. Would you survive the world of Fear? Check it out. There are some spoilers for the previous books though, I just thought I should let you know.

News: Michael Grant's New Transmedia Project (!!)

Those of you who follow my blog for a while know of my love of Michael Grant's incredible Gone series. I love those books. They addict and enthrall me, which is why I'm so psyched about this new project I've been asked to help promote.

"The missing son of a U.N. diplomat... the reemergence of a strange organization... a pair of society twins caught in the middle... this is just the beginning of "Go BZRK," a new transmedia experience from author Michael Grant.


If you're ready to take the plunge in an interactive story like you've never experienced before, visit societytwins.com and register with nexushumanus.com to take your first steps in a strange and compelling universe.


Filled with video, puzzles, community collaboration, and more, "Go BZRK" put YOU the player right in the middle of the action as you join Nexus Humanus and unravel a mystery that may hold the key to the fate of all mankind."

Doesn't that sound absolutely incredible?! I'm registering for sure. If you need more information though, here's a Q&A with Mr. Grant:

A Q&A with author Michael Grant.

What is “Go BZRK”? Is this a book or some kind of interactive story?

Both. The book comes out this winter, but the interactive part starts now.  One leads up to the other, but they're part of a complete package.

Why “transmedia”?

There are different approaches to transmedia.  Most people take a single story and reproduce it on various platforms.  My philosophy has been to make each element - ARG, app, web, book - a thing unto itself, each revealing some aspect of the world of BZRK.  I've been fascinated with this is as a new way to tell stories.  The book remains central, but now I can reach beyond the book and create a much more complete world.  I can tell stories that enhance the book, and stories that parallel the book, and stories that are offshoots of backstory.  I guess the answer to "why" is "because it's fun."

Is this the future of publishing?

I began a few years ago reaching out to publishers and saying we collectively needed to understand that the old models were dead or dying.  I want publishing to survive, and of course I'd like my own career to thrive.  So Egmont Publishing and my partners and I certainly hope this is a part of the future of publishing. 

How long is this running? Is this part of a larger picture?

We'll be running this in several chunks between now and the book release this winter. Because these things have a hard start/stop point, August is a ramp-up phase. There'll be a lot of content coming out, but the experience really gets underway at the end of the month… just in time to distract the kids from their schoolwork.

What if someone wants to follow the story but doesn’t want to participate?

You don't have to do anything.  You can do one thing and not another.  But the deeper you plunge the wetter you get.  I think every part of this is fun, I think people will enjoy the ARG, the app, the site and the books. 

App? You've mentioned that a couple times now.

Just wait and see.

What can you tell us about the story? What is “BZRK”?

It's a battle for the soul and freedom of the human race carried out simultaneously in the world we know, and in a world that you're not going to expect. It's a world where if you make a false move, you're going to lose your mind.

Insanity… is this something you have a personal familiarity with?

The line between writer and crazy person is very thin.  Both go around holding long, involved conversations with people who aren't there.

What’s this other world thing all about?

Do you really want spoilers? I'll tell you this. We'll be going "down in the meat." It's going to be vast, bloody, and beautiful.

Wait… isn’t this supposed to be for kids?

Adults like to flatter themselves that kids won't get, won't understand, won't be able to handle, more intense, more complex stories. That's nonsense.  It's the adults who are easy to creep out or scare.  Say the word "biopsy" in a room full of adults. Or "audit."  See?  Easy to scare.  Kids are a tougher audience because kids think they're immortal.

This looks really cool, right? Check out the sites and stay tuned for more news! Oh, and if you haven't check out my reviews for Hunger by Michael Grant (Gone #2) and Lies by Michael Grant (Gone #3). I'm really excited to see what happens next! And remember to add me as a friend. My username is Tantalize.

Review: Lies

Author: Michael Grant
Pages: 447
Publisher: HarperCollins
Source: Library
Other titles in the series: Gone, Hunger
Synopsis:
It's been seven months since all the adults disappeared. Gone.
It happens in one night. A girl who died now walks among the living; Zil and the Human Crew set fire to Perdido Beach; and amid the flames and smoke, Sam sees the figure of the boy he fears the most: Drake. But Drake is dead. Sam and Caine defeated him along with the Darkness—or so they thought.

As Perdido Beach burns, battles rage: Astrid against the Town Council; the Human Crew versus the mutants; and Sam against Drake, who is back from the dead and ready to finish where he and Sam left off. And all the while deadly rumors are raging like the fire itself, spread by the prophetess Orsay and her companion, Nerezza. They say that death is a way to escape the FAYZ. Conditions are worse than ever and kids are desperate to get out. But are they desperate enough to believe that death will set them free?

Buy the Book (Amazon)

I could sum up my reaction to Lies in one word: addicted. Lies by Michael Grant is the kind of book that I never stopped thinking about, reading, or wishing to read for the whole two days it took to read it. It's the kind of book that screams "Read ME!" in my brain so loud that I can't do anything until it's done. No homework, no studying, no TV. All consuming.

**WARNING: SPOILERS FOR PREVIOUS BOOKS IN THE SERIES**

Lies is set a bit after Hunger and by now Perdido Beach has three little warring groups. There's what's left of the Coates kids, the Human Crew and the council. Kids are desperately hungry. They would do anything for food. The gaiaphage has a new plan. Sam is having a hard time dealing with being whipped from Drake. Brittney isn't in her tomb. There's a prophetess and kids start questioning once again what really happens on their 15th birthday. That's all just the tip of the iceberg. It's impossible to say all that's happening, because so much is. Everyone person has a story. It's simply amazing how well Michael Grant weaves all those little stories together to create the overall story arc we see now.

Lies explores our beloved characters even more. Many of the heroes make questionable choices and some of the villains make "good" choices. What I love is the range of morality; no one is simply good or bad, except the gaiaphage. It's disturbing but also weirdly readable to read of these poor kids living the the FAYZ. You can criticize them all you want, but how will anyone of us know what we would do if we were there? There are unmistakable leaders and also many followers. I would never want to live in that world, and I say that as the highest of praise.

As always, there are multiple point of views. This is the best and worst thing about the series. I love seeing the story develop, all the characters play an important role and I end up caring for everyone and see great depth in character, but I also develop favorite characters who I want to read of and sometimes the other POV's don't appeal to me as much. Since there are so many it takes a while to return to the ones I'm anxious for. Also, it takes a while for the overall story to move on because each character has a smaller story that must be told. What happens is that after finishing Lies, a pretty hefty looking book, I don't feel like I've read much. It may just be me but this is the Achilles's Heel of this series.

Overall, another great read to the series, Lies offers the same heart pounding, shocking, disturbing action as the others in the series. It again shows what would or could happen if humanity was desperate enough. It's terrifying and amazing, so I'm giving it 4 stars.

****

Book Trailer: Plague

As I was searching through youtube, I found this trailer. And I was so surprised. "I love Michael Grant's Gone series. Why haven't I see this?" I asked myself. Anyway, here is the really cool trailer for Plague. Which I'm terrified and excited to read in the future.

Review: Hunger

Author: Michael Grant
Pages: 608
Source: Library
Series: Gone by Michael Grant, book 2
Synopsis (from Amazon): It's been three months since all the adults disappeared. Gone.

Food ran out weeks ago and starvation is imminent. Meanwhile, the normal teens have grown resentful of the kids with powers. And when an unthinkable tragedy occurs, chaos descends upon the town. There is no longer right and wrong. Each kid is out for himself and even the good ones turn murderous.

But a larger problem looms. The Darkness, a sinister creature that has lived buried deep in the hills, begins calling to some of the teens in the FAYZ. Calling to them, guiding them, manipulating them.

The Darkness has awakened. And it is hungry.

**Beware, I'm a huge fan of this series!**

When I finish reading a book, I ask myself whether I feel like reviewing it. Whether I have a lot to say about it. I don't review books I only like, or the opposite, just a moderate amount of books that I have a solid opinion on. Some books make me need to review them. Hunger is one of these books.

First, oh my gosh I LOVE these books! Sorry, had to get that out of my system. This is such a fabulous, original, interesting story world. Kids trapped in a dome with no adults and superpowers? That alone would makes me like this book. Tie that with the amazing and intricate plot, variety of amazing characters and the easy to read writing and you've got a winner.

Hunger is the second book of the Gone series, and I swear you can feel the desperation of the kids while reading this. Its creepy how this book affected my mood so much while I read it in a single sitting. In Hunger, things are even worse. Sam is trying to be a good leader but the pressure is overwhelming, the society isn't working and the Darkness is on the prowl. Every possible thing is against them and you're left wondering how can our heroes triumph?

One of my favorite things about this series is how real the characters are. Every one of them has faults, but they're all redeemed in at least a small way. The multiple point of views gives room for everyone's story to weave together in the plot. For example, the kids face many challenges in Hunger, mostly relating food and organization. These kids react exactly as I would imagine many people would react: they're scared, they feel like they can't do anything, and they're on the verge of giving up. These emotions lead to chaos and while some kids follow the crowd, there are some kids who step and are leaders. But no, these kids do not save the day, They have their own problems too, so basically everyone has to save themselves. These concept really makes me wonder what I'd do if I lived in the FAYZ.

This book has lots of suspense and action. These poor kids never get a break. There are new heroes and new "villains" and there are either two ways things work: you create a problem, or you solve a problem. Most people create problems and it's written in a way that shows that problems are a way of life. They're always there, people need to learn how to deal with them.

I can't really say much else without spoiling, so I'm just saying that I'm super excited for the next book, Lies, which I'm planning on getting as soon as I can. I don't know what genre of book this may be (dystopian perhaps?) but if you like books about survival, the Gone series is perfect for you. There's a lot to like, though it's a scary read.

I loved Hunger so much that I'm giving it my highest rating, 5 out of 5 stars. I recommend checking this book and series out!

*****