(Image from Nazarea Andrews' official website)

It's been more than 100 years since the Cataclysm, a nuclear apocalypse that leveled the world's greatest cities and annihilated all but 5% of Earth's population.  Two centuries later, most of the survivors' descendants live in protected Cities.  In Mlena, their lives are ruled by the Commission.  Under the direction of the Prince, the regime determines which couples will be bonded together, how many children—and of which sex—each union may produce, and the fates of anyone who dares to speak out against them.  Despite the restrictions, few Citizens complain.  The alternative is living Outside, where acid storms rage, dragons roar, and other genetically-altered monsters roam wild, threatening any human who steps through the Shield that keeps the City safe.  

As an Exile, Sabah is forbidden to live in Mlena.  She's an orphan, a child who was born after her mother reached Quota and thus turned out of the City—the Commission's version of population control.  Saved by the Mistress, Sabah now lives in the Manor with other Gutterlings.  The large home sits within sight of Mlena, but is shrouded in the mists that pour off the nearby waterfalls.  Once the mighty falls lured millions of visitors to its edges; now, it hides the starrbriar, a powerful flower which the Mistress collects with desperate fervor.  Braving the treacherous falls to gather the plants can only be done by the smallest children, a task the Mistress is not afraid to assign them.  If they perish in the pursuit, there are always more being left outside Mlena's Shield.  

Sabah, the oldest of the Manor children and the caretaker of the others, can't stand the savage ritual, especially when the Mistress refuses to explain why the starrbriars must be gathered.  She's tired of the secrets.  Tired of her futile existence.  When a ban-wolf begins stalking her, Sabah doesn't feel fear, but curiosity.  The beasts are supposed to be ferocious and yet, this one seems almost human.  The more she gets to know Arjun, the more she wonders:  What is the Mistress hiding?  What does Sabah really know about the dangerous world in which she lives?  Who are the true monsters?  And where does she belong—with a woman who sacrifices kids to get what she wants, to the man who helps her, or to the beast that could kill them all?  

I don't accept many self-published novels for review because, in general, I find them to be poorly written, full of editing issues and just really not worth my time.  Occasionally, though, an intriguing premise catches my attention.  Even more rarely, the quality of the writing convinces me to give the book a try.  Such is the case with Edge of the Falls, a dark, dystopian re-telling of Beauty and the Beast by Nazarea Andrews.  Although I didn't love, love, love the book, I can say one thing for sure and certain—this girl can write.  She knows how to create a vivid, atmospheric world that comes alive in the reader's imagination.  Did everything about the place make sense? No.  Still, I found it interesting enough to keep reading.  My enthusiasm started to wane a little with the insta-love between Arjun and Sabah, the bizarre love triangle (square?), not to mention all the dystopian clichés that started cropping up toward the middle of the book.  The story starts out with some original ideas, but it quickly becomes more of the same ole, same ole.  Usually, I care more about characters than plot anyway—this cast, though, really didn't do much for me.  They were all pretty flat and I didn't get why all the males fell so head-over-heels for Sabah, who's moody, fickle and doesn't actually do much to solve her own problems.  

So, in the end, Andrews' way with words impressed me as well as her ability to keep me engaged in Edge of the Falls, even though I wanted a lot more from the story.  Overall, I have to say I'm glad I took a chance on this self-published diamond-in-the-rough—I just would have liked more diamond, less rough.  

(Readalikes:  Reminded me a lot of Under the Never Sky and Through the Ever Night by Veronica Rossi)

Grade:  C+

If this were a movie, it would be rated:  PG-13 for language (no F-bombs), violence and mild sexual content

To the FTC, with love:  I received an e-ARC of Edge of the Falls from Nazarea Andrews.  Thank you!

(Image from Barnes & Noble)

High school senior Val Jensen really isn't one for drama.  Usually.  But when her ex-boyfriend—who's still smarting because she refused to sleep with him—spreads a rumor that she's easy, Val snaps.  She stands up in the crowded lunchroom and yells out the truth for all to hear:  she's a virgin and will be until her wedding night.  Thanks to someone's cell phone camera, Val's impassioned speech hits YouTube, where it goes viral.

At first, she's mortified by all the attention.  Then, Val realizes that she has no reason to be.  By speaking up in defense of abstinence, she has the chance to help teenagers not just in Huntington Beach, California, but all over the country, maybe even the world, make smart decisions about sex.  She has a very good reason, too—her birth mother got pregnant way too early, resulting in Val being placed for adoption when she was an infant.  She doesn't want herself—or any of her friends—to have to endure that kind of heartache.

It's only when Val meets a totally irritating, but completely irresistible rock star that she begins to doubt herself.  Kyle Hamilton's the sexiest guy she's ever met and he's so hot for Val that he's writing hit songs about her.  How can she not give him everything he wants?  But if she does, she'll destroy all the good she's done as Virgin Val.  If she sticks to her guns, though, she may lose everything else.  As her life spirals out of control, Val must decide when to speak up, when to stand down, and how far she'll go to get what—and who—she wants.

I'd never heard of Kelly Oram until her latest novel, V is for Virgin, was nominated for a Whitney Award.  And even though I didn't love the book, I'm glad for the introduction to Oram's work.  She writes with a strong voice and a forthrightness that's both refreshing and instructive (without being too preachy).  Contemporary YA seems to be a natural fit for her.  That being said, I had a few issues with her latest (don't I always?).  Val, for me, is another one of those heroines who's way too into herself to be likable or sympathetic.  Her oh-poor-me-I'm-so-beautiful-that-every-guy-I-meet-falls-in-love-with-me act gets very old very quickly.  Plus, things go a little too smoothly for her.  Like I said before, I can't root for a heroine who doesn't have to fight a little bit to achieve her goal.  There were other things that bugged me about the story, like how Val's (supposedly attentive) parents let her date an older guy (without any protest) and attend wild adult parties dressed like a streetwalker (again, they say nothing?).  Also, the fact that said older guy—and his buddies—are going after high school girls.  And don't get me started on my love/hate relationship with the book's Epilogue.  So, despite the things I did like about this one, V is for Virgin ended up falling kind of flat for me.  Oram's on my Authors-to-Watch list, though, because I think she's got some definite potential.  Let's see if she lives up to it, shall we?

(Readalikes:  Reminded me a lot of Finding June by Shannen Crane Camp)

Grade:  B-

If this were a movie, it would be rated:  PG-13 for mild language (no F-bombs) and sexual innuendo

To the FTC, with love:  I received a PDF copy of V is for Virgin as part of my involvement with judging for the Whitney Awards.  Thank you!

(Image from Barnes & Noble)

One of 16-year-old June Laurie's biggest dreams is about to come true—she's joining the cast of the most popular crime show on t.v.  Sure, it's only for a few episodes, but who cares?  She's in.  Which means she'll be spending some serious on-screen time with the delicious Lukas Leighton.  He's the star of every girl's fondest daydreams, including June's.  She can hardly believe the opportunity has landed in her lap, but she's determined to make the most of it.  

June's co-stars aren't sure what to make of the 16-year-old Mormon girl who won't drink coffee and balks at the skimpy costumes she's supposed to wear.  She's not sure either.  June wants this gig so badly she doesn't dare mess it up by asking the producer for something more modest to wear.  Does she?  It doesn't help matters that the Lukas Leighton seems to be falling for her.  Are a part on a t.v. show and the attention of a gorgeous actor really worth compromising June's standards?  As the pressure mounts, she'll have to decide how much she's willing to sacrifice to get what—and who—she wants. 

There are several things I like about Finding June, a sweet YA romance by Shannen Crane Camp (there are lots of things I don't, but we'll get to that in a minute ...).  The cover, for one.  It's got a vintage feel to it that still somehow very clearly says contemporary YA.  Eye-catching for sure.  Also, the fact that Camp's writing about LDS teens without being overly preachy or trying too hard to teach some kind of lesson.  In fact, I think she finds an almost perfect balance between church-y stuff and non-church-y stuff, if that makes any sense.  

That being said, Finding June pretty much annoyed me from the first sentence to the last.  Why, you ask?  Well, it starts with the fact that this story has no central conflict.  It sounds like it does with the whole compromising standards thing, but that's actually sort of a subplot.  And not a very interesting one at that (although it definitely could have been).  In truth, the story really doesn't have much conflict at all.  It's pretty obvious how the book's going to turn out, since this premise/plotline's been done a bajillion times and Crane doesn't bother to throw in any surprises to make June's tale unique.  Plus, June never really struggles with anything.  At all.  She's self-centered, insensitive, clueless and yet everyone loves her and gives her exactly what she wants?  I don't buy it.  For me to really get behind a heroine (or hero), I have to see her fight to attain her goals, I have to see her fail so she can pick herself up and continue to claw her way through her troubles, I have to see her care for someone (or something) beyond herself, I have to find something in her to admire.  That didn't happen with June.  She's too flat, too self-absorbed, too unrealistic.  

I have more beefs with Finding June, but I think I'll stop there.  Suffice it to say, I didn't care much for this one.  Crane's got the right idea, IMHO, she just needs to work on creating deeper, more empathetic characters; plotlines that twist in surprising directions; and richer, more vivid prose.  Piece of cake, right?

(Readalikes:  Reminds me a lot of V is for Virgin by Kelly Oram and a teensy tiny bit of My Double Life by Janette Rallison)

Grade:  D

If this were a movie, it would be rated:  PG for mild language (no F-bombs) and mild sexual innuendo

To the FTC, with love:  I received an e-copy of Finding June as part of my participation as a judge for the Whitney Awards.  Thank you!