Thumbs Up Thursday: Destroy Me by Tahereh Mafi

 Genre: YA dystopian/post-apocalyptic

What I love about the characters: This is a spin-off novella that takes place after the events in Mafi's Shatter Me.  The main focus of this book is Warner.  When I read Shatter Me, there was something about him I couldn't completely write off.  I thought maybe Mafi was going to present more facets to his character, and she did so in a big way in this novella.  I have a much better grasp of who Warner is and what makes him tick, and this book changed the way I felt about him.  I can't say I think he's a hero, but I definitely have a more sympathetic view toward him now.

What I love about the setting: I got to know a little bit more about the Reestablishment in this book, though it's still not fully developed.  I did like the detail about the world, such as the housing that was set up for the common people.  I hope the next book will go into even more detail about why the world is as it is, but this book was really more about Warner than anything, and I was very happy with that.

What I love about the plot: There's not a lot of "plot" to this book, but I don't mean that in a bad way.  Instead, the novella offers a lot of insight into Warner.  We get some detail about his background, and I gained a better understanding of his relationship with his father, which was a doozy.  I thought this novella was an excellent example of how to do a character study and do it well.

What I'm jealous of: Mafi's writing.  I really love her prose.  I loved it in Shatter Me, and I loved it in this novella.  She just a really lovely way of writing.

Who I'd recommend it to: Anyone who read and enjoyed Shatter Me, since this novella provides a lot more insight into Warner.  If you haven't read Shatter Me, I think you'd be much better off reading it before reading this, because a lot of events that take place in Shatter Me are referenced here, and you might feel a bit lost otherwise.

Thumbs Up Thursdays: Angelfall by Susan Ee

Um, wow!  Between hearing about Susan Ee's success and the buzz surrounding this book on Goodreads, I decided I had to read it.  I can sum it up by saying this: Ee deserves every bit of praise she's getting.

Genre: Young adult postapocalyptic

What I love about the characters: Honestly, I could probably write a ten-page essay in which I fangirl on and on about how much I absolutely adored Penryn.  Have I mentioned that I loved her?  I read a lot of YA fiction, but it's rare that I find a female protagonist that I care for and root for as much as I did with Penryn.  She is everything I hope to make my female protagonists: smart, tough, proactive, and yet she still has a tender, compassionate side.  On top of all that, she has one of the most interesting family dynamics I've yet read about in a work of YA fiction.  This is how a well-done female character should be.

I also really liked Raffe.  Though he is godlike, gorgeous, as well as an awe-inspiring warrior (he is an angel, after all!), he never comes across unlikeable.  When he's being an arrogant jerk, Penryn calls him on it, and I thought that was awesome.  The two have great tension, and their relationship builds slowly and carefully.  You really get the sense that these are two characters taking the time to get to know one another.

What I love about the setting: Ee has created a very real, very scary world.  Seriously, I read the last few chapters of the book late one night and I was honestly afraid to go to bed because I was sure I was going to have nightmares.  It is chilling to read such a dark, dire portrayal of the U.S. in the wake of Armageddon, and Ee really cranks up the horror factor.  Her prose is extremely vivid, and I could perfectly picture every scene she depicted.  I envy her prodigious imagination.

What I love about the plot: It flows so wonderfully.  It's exciting and action-packed, and many chapters left me biting my nails, wondering what would happen to Penryn and Raffe.  It's the kind of book that I was reluctant to put down because I just had to know what would happen next.  Yet, Ee also does a fantastic job of rounding out her characters, so you get the total package.

What I'm jealous of: All of it, really.  It's so well-written, so tense, so scary, and so heartbreaking.  It also made me think.  I don't want to spoil anything, but there is one central question in the novel that I'm *still* thinking about and trying to decide how I would handle.  I cannot wait for the next book in the series so I can find out what happens.

Who I'd recommend it to: Anyone who likes strong female characters, postapocalyptic novels, and novels about angels.

Thumbs Up Thursdays: Wool by Hugh Howey

Today I'm kicking off my first Thumbs Up Thursday, where I will share a quick review of a book I've really enjoyed.  In addition to being an author, I'm a very avid reader, and it's always exciting to me to find that hidden gem of a book that just yanks you right into its world.

To kick off my first Thumbs Up Thursday, I present to you my flash review of Wool, by Hugh Howey.

Genre: Adult speculative fiction/dystopia.  This is a novelette of around 12,000 words.

What I love about the characters: They are so vivid, even though this is a short work of fiction.  Though the story is told from Holston's point of view, I felt like I really got to know Allison through Holston's eyes.  Their love story was moving without being treacly or overdone.  There was deep, binding emotion between the two of them.

What I love about the setting: This is a great example of dystopian done well.  Though Howey doesn't spend a lot of time world-building, I still got a really good sense of what the world was about and why it was structured the way it was.  There is a reason for this dystopia, as becomes abundantly clear through the narrative, which is the way it ought to be.  Howey does a fantastic job of showing rather than telling.

What I love about the plot: Pretty much everything.  I loved that Holston's feelings for his wife drove his actions, that Allison's digging into the history of their society raised questions, that Howey provided a perfectly awesome rationale for why those condemned to cleaning actually go out and clean.

What I'm jealous of: That ending!  I really hope and wish that I might someday create such a shattering, fantastic ending.  Not only is the ending great, I really didn't see it coming.

Who I'd recommend it to: Anyone who, like me, is a fan of dystopian fiction.