Top Ten Tuesday is back after a short hiatus (Congratulations on the new baby, Jamie!) and today's topic is a fun one: Top Ten Hidden Gems in X Genre.  I'm always excited to find a great book that has somehow slid under the radar.  I easily thought of 10+ fitting post-apocalyptic novels which I'll be sharing with you in just a sec. 

First, though, you need to click on over to The Broke and the Bookish so you can join in the fun, too.  Just read over the TTT guidelines, make your own list, use the linky to add your post to the master list, and have fun visiting other TTT posts.  It's a great way to get to know others in the book blogging community while learning about awesome reads you're going to want to add to your TBR pile.  Be there or be square.  For reals.  TTT is always a good time—I promise!

Here we go with my list of Top Ten Hidden Gems in Post-Apocalyptic Fiction:


1.  The Tomorrow series (Tomorrow, When the War Began; The Dead of Night; A Killing Frost; Darkness, Be My Friend; Burning for Revenge; The Night is for Hunting; The Other Side of Dawn) by John Marsden—I'm in the middle of this YA series written in the 90s by an Australian author and I'm still enjoying it.  The story revolves around a group of teens who are camping in the bush when an unknown enemy takes over their town.  They return to discover that their families and friends have been rounded up at gunpoint.  Not knowing how widespread the invasion is or what they can do to stop it, the group has to figure out how to survive in a world that has literally changed overnight.


2.  The Wool trilogy (Wool; Shift; Dust) by Hugh Howey—This trilogy of very chunky books looks intimidating, but in fact, tells a very absorbing story set in a unique dystopian world.  Okay, I've only read Wool, the first installment, but I imagine its sequels are just as good.


 3.  Orleans by Sherri L. Smith—Set in a Gulf Coast that is half-drowned after repeatedly being hit by devastating hurricanes, this novel seems especially apropos right now.  It's a chilling, atmospheric tale about a teenager with highly-prized blood who's trying to keep herself and a newborn baby alive in a ruined, ruthless world.  I've been waiting and waiting and waiting for a sequel to Orleans, but so far I haven't seen one.  Pity.


4.  The Hallowed Ones and The Outside by Laura Bickle—When the world is overrun by a dangerous menace, Katie's isolated Amish village is the last to know about it.  To protect their people, the elders close off the community—no one is allowed out or in.  It's only when a handsome, injured Canadian comes begging for help that Katie dares defy her religious leaders.  Will her rash decision to shelter him prove fatal for everyone she loves?


 5.  The Horse trilogy (White Horse; Red Horse; Pale Horse) by Alex Adams—I've only read the first installment of this gritty, gory series about a woman trying to find the man she loves in a Europe ravaged and ruined by a vicious plague.  It's grim and graphic, but addictive.  Adams writes in raw, beautiful prose that makes the book impossible to put down.


 6.  The Ashes trilogy (Ashes; Shadows; Monsters) by Ilsa J. Bick—I'm not sure why I haven't finished this absorbing YA series yet because it's tense, twisty, and thrilling.


 7.  Wayward Pines trilogy (Pines; Wayward; The Last Town) by Blake Crouch—I loved this enthralling trilogy about a secret service agent who wakes up in a strange, secret-filled town after a car accident.  The less you know going into it, the better, but be aware of this: you won't be able to stop reading until you know every one of Wayward Pines' tantalizing secrets.


 8.  The Gone series (Gone; Hunger; Lies; Plague; Fear; Light; Monster) by Michael Grant—This series has a lot of different elements (sci fi, romance, dystopian, survival, supernatural, etc.) that combine to make for always-compelling reading.  I'm stoked that, four years after the series ended, Grant is publishing a new installment.


9.  The Forgetting and The Knowing by Sharon Cameron—Cameron introduces us to an interesting society where memories are wiped out every 12 years.  Unbeknownst to anyone else, Nadia is immune to whatever causes the phenomenon.  Thus, she becomes privy to the shocking secrets of her walled community.  A haunting, hopeful series (I believe it will be a trilogy), these books are not to be missed.


10.  The Ship Breaker Trilogy (Ship Breaker; The Drowned Cities; Tool of War) by Paolo Bacigalupi—I read—and loved—Ship Breaker back in 2010.  It's a watery dystopian about Nailer Lopez, a salvager looking for treasures to sell, who comes across a half-dead woman draped in enough gold to feed him for the rest of his life.  As Nailer sets about rescuing snooty Nadia, the pair find themselves in a frenzied race for survival.  Bacigalupi is a skilled writer, who offers up a story rich in character, setting, and plot.  I need to re-read Ship Breaker and continue with its sequels.

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As a bonus, I discovered five other hidden post-apocalyptic gems that I just added to my TBR list on Goodreads:

1.  The Last One (2016) by Alexandra Oliva—Contestants on a reality show must survive in a real emergency.
2.  Zone One (2010) by Colson Whitehead—described as "literary zombie fiction"
3.  The Quiet Earth (1981) by Craig Harrison—A man wakes up and finds himself all alone in a world gone wrong.
4.  Icequake (1979) and Tsunami (1983) by Crawford Kilian—Devastating natural disasters create chaos and fear.
5.  Down to a Sunless Sea (1979) by David Graham—An airplane full of passengers escaping the apocalypse runs head-on into a nuclear holocaust.
6.  Emergence (1984) by David Palmer—A young girl with a unique genetic makeup sets off through a wasted world to find others like her.

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Phew!  So, there you have it ... some hidden post-apocalyptic gems for you to try.  What do you think of the list?  What am I missing?  What's on YOUR list today?  I'd love to know.  Leave me a comment and I'll gladly return the favor.

Happy TTT!

"Kick 'em while they're down" must be the motto of Michael Grant, author of the YA dystopian Gone series. I mean, I get that you have to have conflict to keep a story gallopping along, but seriously? Haven't the kids of Perdido Beach, California, suffered enough? First, everyone aged 15 and over disappeared in a mysterious poof. Then, the young survivors noticed a strange dome enclosing their town, barricading them off from the rest of the world. As the weeks wore on, with no help in sight, the streets of the sleepy beach town turned into a war zone, with armed children battling it out for food, water, shelter and control of the weird new world they nicknamed the FAYZ (Fall-Out Alley Youth Zone). As if all of that wasn't bad enough, things in the FAYZ - animals, even people - started evolving in terrifying ways. Oh, and then they discovered the Gaiaphage, a being constructed of pure evil, who's hell-bent on destroying the children's every last hope ...

And that's only in the first three books.

Plague, the recently-released fourth installment in the series, introduces a new threat: a violent, mutated flu virus is sweeping through town, leaving a trail of corpses in its wake. Dahra's meager medical knowledge can't explain the disease and Lana, the Healer, can't cure it. Which is bad, but not the worst thing happening in town. The water supply's running out, Drake's trying to break out of prison, Orc's slurping booze like it's lemonade, Sam's off on some half-baked exploration adventure, Little Pete's burning up with fever, and Astrid's contemplating murder. Still - not the worst things going on in the FAYZ. What is the worst thing? Well, that would be the bloodthirsty monster devouring the Hunter from the inside out. And its friends. The most powerful kids in town can't stop the destruction, can't stop the creatures from eating everything - everyone - in their paths. After everything the kids have endured, will this finally be the end of the FAYZ? Or worse, will the nightmares just keep on coming?

Knowing Michael Grant (and the fact that there are two remaining books in the series), you should probably go with the latter.

Four books into a series, I'm usually starting to get bored. Not so in this case. Grant keeps things so lively, I don't dare look away. I'm not saying this is great literature - really, the writing's just so-so - but it's a fun, exciting story that keeps jutting off in surprising new directions. As much as I don't want the books to end, I'm anxious to see how the story plays out. The possibilities truly are endless. And you know how much I love that.

(Readalikes: Similar to the other books in the series - Gone, Hunger, and Lies; also reminds me a little of The Maze Runner and The Scorch Trials by James Dashner; and a bit of the Chaos Walking series [The Knife of Never Letting Go; The Ask and the Answer; and Monsters of Men] by Patrick Ness)

Grade: B-

If this were a movie, it would be rated: PG-13 for violence, mild language, some sexual content, and slurs related to race and homosexuality

To the FTC, with love: Another library fine find

Okay, I know everyone's dying to know who won my 3 ARCs of Lies by Michael Grant, so let's get right to it. The winners are:

Congratulations! The Gaiaphage/Gone Fan and donnas get brand-spankin' new ARCs, and luiloth gets my very gently used copy. If you will email me your snail mail addresses, I'll get the books in the mail ASAP.

Thanks to everyone who entered and spread the word about this contest. It turned out to be one of my most successful ever! I always have books to give away, so stay tuned for more giveaways.

I've been hinting about this giveaway, and it's finally here! My wonderful contact at HarperTeen has generously provided me with two ARCs of Michael Grant's Lies to give away. This is the 3rd book in his series about Perdido Beach, a peaceful little town that dissolves into utter chaos when everyone over 15 disappears one day. It's a fun, exciting YA series that should appeal to readers of all ages. If you haven't read the first two books - Gone and Hunger - you really need to. And you need to read this one, too. Lies will not be on the market until May, so this is a great chance to read it before anyone else!

Okay, here's how it's going to work: I promised Krista I would make you answer a silly question. So, if you want to be entered in the contest, leave me a comment answering the question at the bottom of this post. Be sure to leave me a current email address if you do not have a public blog that you check regularly. If I can't get a hold of you, you can't win! The deadline to enter is April 10. As per usual, I'll give you extra entries for spreading the word about the contest. Tweet about it, post it on your blog, whatever - one extra entry per advertising method. Oh, and since I'm mailing the books, the giveaway is open internationally.

Here's the question (and it's not even that silly): I've really been into the apocalyptic/post-apocalyptic/dystopian thing lately. Do you like this genre? Why or why not? What's the best post-apocalyptic and/or dystopian novel you've ever read?

Good luck!

(While this review will not contain spoilers for Lies by Michael Grant, it may inadvertently reveal plot surprises from Gone and Hunger. As always, I recommend reading books in a series in order.)

Note: Lies will go on sale May 4, 2010. You can pre-order it now at Amazon, Barnes & Noble and other bookstores.

A lot can happen in 7 months. Especially when there are no adults around to keep things orderly. In less than a year Perdido Beach, California - once a quiet beach town - has turned into a crumbling, dangerous, garbage-strewn mess. Pre-teens roam the streets armed with baseball bats; 10-year-old's dull their fears with alcohol and weed; freaks and normals clash at every turn. And that's on the safe side of town. Welcome to life in The FAYZ.

This is where Lies, the third book in the Gone series by Michael Grant, begins.

Even with Whip Hand gone and the Gaiaphage defeated, there's plenty for the town council to worry about. Unfortunately, worry seems to be the only thing they can do. Astrid's vehement about laying down the law, but first she has to brainstorm ideas, draft the rules, put them up for a vote, and otherwise drag out the process. Sam's sick of stewing about things; he longs for action. Something has to be done about Orsay, for example - claiming to be a prophetess who can communicate with the outside world, she's encouraging 14-year-old's to poof on their 15th birthdays. Astrid swears Orsay's a fake, but is she, really? Then, there's Zil and his gang of normals, out to punish every freak in town. And, of course, there's the issue of Brittney. It's not that the girl's particularly dangerous, it's just that she used to be dead. Now she's not - exactly.

Things come to a head one strange night when the Human Crew sets fire to the town. Out of the smoke steps Sam's worst nightmare - Drake Merwin, once a boy, now a monster. Malicious. Deadly. Terrifying. And dead. At least he was. Not only is Whip Hand back on the scene, but so is a skeletal Caine. Everyone's fighting for control of the town. It's a mad turf war, a battle that could change everything in the FAYZ. If the kids of Perdido Beach ever needed a hero, it's now. So, where is Sam? Has he really abandoned his people just when they need him most? Without Sam, does the ragtag town council have any hope of holding out against its foes? Or will evil finally win in this crazy world known as The FAYZ?

Every book in this series races along with heart-stopping action, but Lies takes it to a whole new level. The book is, quite literally, impossible to put down. With new characters, increasingly desperate conditions, and complications between our heroes, there are twists and turns around every corner. At the risk of being spoilerish, I have to mention that in Lies, we finally get a glimpse of what is happening in the outside world. Even though Grant does it in a way that only heightens the drama, I'm still not sure what I think of this. What's your opinion - do you want to know what's happened to the rest of the world or would you prefer to remain in the dark (since, you know, electricity's a thing of the past in the FAYZ)?

I accused Grant of slowing down and getting redundant in Hunger - well, no more. Lies speeds along with the kind of furious intensity that will have you burning through pages as fast as you can. And when it ends, well, I guarantee you'll be begging for more.

(Readalikes: Gone and Hunger by Michael Grant; Life As We Knew It and The Dead & The Gone by Susan Beth Pfeffer)

Grade: A-

If this were a movie, it would be rated: PG for violence; underrage smoking, drinking and drug abuse; some sexual innuendo; disturbing images (you don't even want to know what happens to Panda); and brief references to homosexuality

(Note: While this review will contain no spoilers for Hunger by Michael Grant, it may inadvertently mention plot surprises from Gone. As always, I recommend reading books in a series in order.)

If things were bleak in the FAYZ (Fallout Alley Youth Zone) before, they're absolutely desperate now. The shelves at Ralph's are empty, killer worms patrol the farmland, and deadly fights are breaking out over one measley piece of beef jerky. With the sadistic Caine temporarily out of the picture, the "townies" are unleashing their fury on each other. An increasingly aggravated Sam gets to hear about every little argument, from quarrels between siblings to fights over food to rumbles about civil war between Freaks and Normals. As if things aren't quite dangerous enough, there seems to be a monster lurking in an abandoned mine shaft just outside of Perdido Beach. A monster of unknown origin who invades kids' minds, bidding them - no, forcing them - to carry out his evil plans.

As things go from bad to worse in Perdido Beach, Sam knows the most important thing is stopping the monster. Caine, Lana and some other kids with important powers seem to be under its control. responding to its frantic plea for "food." Meanwhile, animals and humans are still evolving. Powerless kids are resentful of the "freaks," the "freaks" are being targeted by bullies, and the whole FAYZ is in utter chaos. With no food, no cops, no parents and plenty of pent-up anger, what's to stop the kids from revolting? Can Sam step up and take control or is it simply too much for him this time?

Although Hunger, like its predecessor Gone, features heart-stopping action and engaging characters, I didn't enjoy it quite as much as the first book. The pacing is a little slower, the story seems a little redundant, and the whole thing's just a little more gory (think of Fido's fate in a community of starving children), a little more disturbing. It's still engaging, just not quite as consumingly so. Like Gone, Hunger is mostly a "clean" book with very little swearing, only a small bit of sexual innuendo and a hopeful tone that helps balance out the bleakness of the situation the characters are facing. Grant does introduce a homosexual relationship in Hunger - while it's a very minor part of the story and not at all graphic, it's still there. Call me a prude, but it's just not something I want to read about. All in all, though, Hunger remains an engrossing, absorbing, multi-layered thrill ride.

I have an ARC of Lies, the next book in the series, that I plan to delve into right after I read some nice, light, happy fiction. The finished book comes out in May. It will be followed by Plague. I'm not sure how long the series will go on, but I'm starting to feel super sorry for the kids caught in the wasteland known as The FAYZ ...

(Readalikes: Gone by Michael Grant, Life As We Knew It and The Dead & the Gone by Susan Beth Pfeffer)

Grade: B-

If this were a movie, it would be rated: PG for mild language, some sexual innuendo, references to homosexuality, violence and adult themes/situations.

To the FTC, with love: I received Hunger from the generous folks at HarperTeen. Thanks!