Saturday, May 11, 2013

[Blog Tour] Storm by Evan Angler (Series Review + Giveaway)

with YA Bound


Swipe (Swipe #1) by Evan Angler
Published May 1st, 2012

Premise:
"Apocalyptic dystopian fiction at its best. Angler's sharp wit and dexterity with political themes are matched only by the thrilling suspense on every page." --Lis Wiehl, "New York Times" bestselling author and FOX News correspondent

Everyone gets the Mark. It gives all the benefits of citizenship. Yet if getting the Mark is such a good thing, then why does it feel so wrong?

Set in a future North America that is struggling to recover after famine and global war, "Swipe" follows the lives of three kids caught in the middle of a conflict they didn't even know existed. United under a charismatic leader, every citizen of the American Union is required to get the Mark on their 13th birthday in order to gain the benefits of citizenship.

The Mark is a tattoo that must be swiped by special scanners for everything from employment to transportation to shopping. It's almost Logan Langly's 13th birthday and he knows he should be excited about getting the Mark, but he hasn't been able to shake the feeling he's being watched. Not since his sister went to get her Mark five years ago . . . and never came back.

When Logan and his friends discover the truth behind the Mark, will they ever be able to go back to being normal teenagers? Find out in the first book of this exciting series that is "Left Behind" meets "Matched" for middle-grade readers.


Sneak (Swipe #2) by Evan Angler
Published September 4th, 2012


Premise:
When Logan Langly backed out of getting the Mark and went on the run, no one thought he could survive on his own. Without the Mark, you can't buy food, go to the doctor, or use a tablet--you aren't even a citizen.

But when he discovers that his sister is being held in a mysterious hidden prison named Acheron, Logan risks everything to travel through an underground network of the Markless to rescue her.

Logan arrives only to find that Acheron holds more secrets than anyone could have guessed and that all his careful planning is worthless against a government that will do anything to gain absolute control.

It seems there is only one place to turn. But can a banned book with whisper-thin pages and warnings about the real meaning of the Mark really hold the Answer?



Storm (Swipe #3) by Evan Angler
Published May 7th, 2013 
Thomas Nelson Publishers

Premise:
In a future United States under the power of a charismatic leader, everyone gets the Mark at age thirteen. The Mark allows citizen to shop, go to school, and even get medical care--without it, you are on your own. Few refuse to get the Mark. Those who do . . . disappear.

Logan Langly went in to get his Mark, but he backed out at the last minute. Ever since, he's been on the run from government agents and on a quest to find his sister Lily, who disappeared when she went to get her Mark five years earlier. His journey leads him to befriend the Dust, a vast network of Markless individuals who dissent against the iron-grip rule of the government. Along the way to the capital to find Lily, the Dust receive some startling information from the Markless community, opening their eyes to the message of Christianity and warning that humanity is now entering the End of Days.

In "Storm," Logan and his friends are the leaders of the Markless revolution. But while some Markless are fighting Chancellor Cylis' army, the Dust is busy trying to find a cure for a horrible epidemic sweeping through the Marked. And it's difficult for them to know who to trust, especially when they aren't sure if Logan's sister Lily, one of the commanders in Cylis' army, is on their side or not. And all across the nation--and the world--the weather is become less stable, and a storm is brewing that bigger than any of them could have ever imagined....





Get your copy!


Series Review

About the Series: I loved the Swipe series so much! I was like glued to the pages. The entire series has a lot of amazing elements that would keep you intrigued and always wanting to know more. It's originally a dystopian series intended for middle grade and high school kids, but I think it's enjoyable even for adults.
This world is set after several wars and global destruction and it's really futuristic in looks and organization. People in this world have access to a lot of technology and everything revolves around it. To be a proper citizen you have to be marked, this mark will allow you to buy things, get different services and all of that through electronic instruments. That's why all the kids are marked when they turn thirteen, so they can start to gain independency from their parents.
The government is pretty severe and anyone who opposes it ends up pretty bad, because they show no mercy to "traitors". Most people just accept it how it is, because their leader is really charismatic and everyone feels like they owe him for his intervention which was what made the wars stop. So, pretty much everyone got the mark and now lives by the rules. But, there are some people, the ones that refused to get marked, who live in poverty because without their marks they don't even have access to vital resources, they're call the Markless and they are outcast and are considered scourge.
The whole series follows the adventures of Logan, a twelve-year-old who's been afraid of getting the mark since her sister disappeared when she went to get hers. As the series evolves, he learns that not a single thing is how it was supposed to and he’s determined to find the truth and more than anything, to find his sister.
The writting in all the books is amazing, Evan's writting makes everything so easy to picture and all the details really enrich the story.

About Swipe: In this book, Logan is about to get his mark, and he's terryfied of it. Since her sister disappeared, he has had that feeling of being followed, like someone is always watching him and he can't take it anymore. Luckily, a new girl has arrived to Spookie, Erin, the daughter of one of the DOME (Department of Marked Emergencies) officers and she has just discovered that her father is like some secret spy. Logan and Erin meet in school and soon they discover they had a few thing in common. They'll work together, because both of the mysteries seem to lead to the same suspect, Peck, a markless guy. Without knowing it, they will embark on a risky adventure full of unexpected twists.
I loved Logan from the first page. He's authentic, kind, curious and smart; the perfect recepy for an outstanding main character in this kind of book. 
Erin, on the other hand, I couldn't stand her at first, she was so full of herself, she was selfish and mean to Logan, but with time she starts to get better, thanks to Logan, I think.
The ending of this book was totally unexpected for me, I wasn't expecting everything to be so messed up. Trully, this ending blew my mind away.

Rating:

This contains spoilers. If you have not read Swipe, keep reading at you own risk. 
 
About Sneak: In this book, the story resumes where it was left on Swipe. After all the revelations and hard decisions, Logan is running away from the government, determined to find out what really happened to his sister, Lily, no matter what comes his way. In this journey he will get to know a lot of new people and the Dust will play a huge role in all of this. The thing is that while he's trying to find Lily, the new wold order is starting to show its cracks. DOME is determined to stop Logan and has offered a reward for it's capture, because he truly has the power to ruin everything for the corrupt government. Along the way, Logan and Peck find out that Lily is being held in a Markless prision in Beacon City. They will have to face the uncertainty of not knowing who they can trust and they'll have to be really careful because one misstep could get them both captured or worst, killed. 
In this sequel, we get to know more about Peck and the whole world of the Markless. I love having this new perspective in the story, because it makes everything much more interesting. 
Sneak is even more action-packed than Swipe and every page would keep you on the edge of your sit.

Rating:

This contains spoilers. If you have not read Swipe or Sneak, keep reading at you own risk. 

About Storm: In this book we start with a brief summary of what's been happening in the previous two books, which is great when you're not reading the whole series right away. After that all is action and more action. It turns out that the government in a desperate attempt to hold on to the power, creates a new disease to keep the Markless in control and Logan along with his friends must find a cure and the clock is ticking. Also, the Dust has manage to rescue Lily, Logan's sister, from the prision she was being held in, but the problem is that in that place people are brainwashed by the government and turned into soldiers, so things are really tough for our friends. 
Storm is full of references to the "End Days" and all sort of biblical prophecies. The concept is well developed and everything makes sense, at least for me. In this book Angler starts to make a lot of conections between all the events and everything seems to be related, no loose ends. I loved that!
Also, in this book the characters seem even more realistic than before, because we learn their flaws and it's really easy to relate with them. 
Overall, this book is another page-turner full of actions and revelations and would left you wanting more of this sensational story. I can't wait for the next one!

Rating:



About the Author

Evan lives without the Mark, evading DOME and writing in the shadows of Beacon.
Swipe is his first book. But if anyone asks, you know nothing about it, and you didn't hear anything from him. Don't make eye contact if you see him. Don't call his name out loud. He's in enough trouble already.
And so are you, if you've read his book.







Giveaway

Win Print copies of books 1-3 in the Swipe series.
Must be at least 13 years old to enter.
US only.
 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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