Saven Denial (Saven #2.5) by Siobhan Davis

Saven Denial (Saven #2.5)
by Siobhan Davis

ebook, 1st Edition

Published May 21st 2016 by Siobhan Davis

THE TRUTH HURTS 

My mother was right to fear me. 

I’m an abomination. 

And the world should be very afraid. 

Sadie has been kidnapped by the Tor, the vindictive alien race who destroyed Thalassic City. As her past, present, and future collides, her worst nightmare looks set to become her shocking new reality. 

A deliberate pawn in leader Griselda’s vengeful game, Sadie is horrified to learn the truth about her heritage and the destiny that’s already been mapped out for her. Refusing to cooperate, she risks paying the ultimate price for her defiance. 

Love for Logan is her only motivation to stay alive. Saving him is the only thing that matters—the fate of the world depends upon it. While he may never forgive her, she’s determined to protect him. Until her dying breath. 

Note from the author: 

This continues the story from where it ended in Saven Disclosure. This is not an optional novella but an essential read if you don't want to miss out on important plot developments. Please note there is a cliffhanger and it is not a standalone story. You will need to continue the series to find out what is next in store for Sadie and Logan.

So so good! I don't think I have ever enjoyed a novella for a series as much as I enjoyed this one.

This novella was very fast paced. At times I had forgotten that this was a novella and not a full length novel. Of course, I remembered when it was over way too quickly, and left me wanting more.

Denial begins where Disclosure (book two) left off. Which was perfect because Disclosure ended on a cliffhanger. And we all have a love/hate relationship with cliffhangers; they keep you in suspense, but sometimes, as in this case, the suspense is just too much! Thankfully, I got my hands on this novella so some of my unanswered questions could be resolved. 

As the synopsis above states, this is a novella, but it is one you should definitely read if you are continuing on with teh series. A lot of times, novellas serve as just an optional read if you want a little more insight. This novella, however, is so much more than that.

The synopsis also warns readers that there is yet another cliffhanger, and it is a pretty fantastic cliffhanger at that.

So, if you haven't yet read any of the Saven series, you really should. It has everything you could want in a series, including aliens (a personal favorite of mine :D).

5 out of 5

Saven Disclosure (Saven #2) by Siobhan Davis

Saven Disclosure (Saven #2)

by Siobhan Davis

ebook, 1st Edition

Published April 21st 2016 by Siobhan Davis

THE TRUTH CAN'T HIDE FOREVER 

To protect Logan, I have no choice but to deceive him. 

But I’m not the only one hiding the truth. 

Will our love survive all the secrets and lies? 

Enemy alien ships crowd the skies over Earth while the world waits with bated breath. The Saven have been exposed, and where once they were abhorred, they are now championed as our greatest ally and our only possible savior. 

Logan and Sadie have been separated, and the longer he is gone, the more their love is tested by duty, doubts, and deception. 

Sadie and Jarod have infiltrated the highest levels of government, but they are playing a dangerous game. Surrounded by people with conflicting agendas—hell-bent on using her for their own aim—Sadie is confused when the lines between good and evil are blurred. It’s impossible to tell friend from foe, and no one can be trusted. 

When the full extent of the experiments taking place in Sector Twenty is disclosed, Sadie can no longer sit back and watch as the lower classes face a horrific fate. Racing to save her loved ones and mankind, she risks her own safety and the love she’s waited a lifetime for to do the right thing. 

But no one thought to save her from herself. 

I received a free copy from the author in exchange for an honest review.

“In this moment there is no me, no him. Only us. One entity. One heart. One existence.” 
― Siobhan Davis, Saven Disclosure

Wow!

Again I am amazed by Siobhan Davis. I had really enjoyed the first book of the series, but this second book I enjoyed even more! Which, is quite amazing really because normally I prefer the first book in a series over the rest of it.

But before I go too much into the book, can we please take a moment to appreciate that beautiful cover?

Now, moving on...

Saven Disclosure was the perfect second installment to the series. There was never a dull moment, and thanks to Davis' clever use of foreshadowing, the plot always kept you guessing what would happen next.

In this novel, we are reintroduced to characters from the previous novel, as well as introduced to new characters. For one, I especially liked the introduction of the Amaretti, a new alien race. And while on the subject of characters, I must say one of the things I love about Davis' writing is how she develops her characters. To be honest, I was not a huge fan of Sadie during the first book. I had liked her enough, but I found her to be a tad immature and overemotional. However, in this book, we see Sadie undergo a sort of personal growth and move away from being that way. I find that I actually like her a lot more now.

This series has everything, action, love, adventure, intrigue. And the fact that it is more in the science fiction genre is a huge plus for me.

And the ending! I have one word for you: cliffhanger

I look forward to continuing to read more by Davis and would like to thank her for the opportunity to read and review her novels as they have all made it on my top favorite list and I am immensely grateful to be involved in her reading team.

4 out of 5

ARC Review: The Body Institute by Carol Riggs

**E-copy ARC received courtesy of NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.**

The Body Institute by Carol Riggs
Paperback
Expected publication: September 1st 2015 by Entangled: Teen

Meet Morgan Dey, one of the top teen Reducers at The Body Institute. 

Thanks to cutting-edge technology, Morgan can temporarily take over another girl’s body, get her in shape, and then return to her own body—leaving her client slimmer, more toned, and feeling great. Only there are a few catches…

For one, Morgan won’t remember what happens in her “Loaner” body. Once she’s done, she won’t recall walks with her new friend Matt, conversations with the super-cute Reducer she’s been text-flirting with, or the uneasy feeling she has that the director of The Body Institute is hiding something. Still, it’s all worth it in the name of science. Until the glitches start…

Suddenly, residual memories from her Loaner are cropping up in Morgan’s mind. She’s feeling less like herself and more like someone else. And when protests from an anti–Body Institute organization threaten her safety, she’ll have to decide if being a Reducer is worth the cost of her body and soul…

Every time I read a dystopian novel I tend to feel grateful for the world I live in, despite all the horrible things going on, because the world I just finished reading about is usually a whole lot worse off. It also tends to frighten me a bit because the future is unknown and I do not want to live in a world that has annual events that pit children against one another to fight to the death, or a world where I am trapped in a god awful maze or have a disease that turns people into zombies that chase me down the street trying to eat my brain. 

Despite how frightening it is to picture any of those scenarios, the scene this novel sets is perhaps the most frightening because I personally feel it is not something completely unbelievable. The Body Institute is science fiction and dystopia at its finest. A world were people are taxed for being overweight and shamed for their appearance because of being overweight is not that hard to imagine. In real society today people are made to feel bad about how they look. The media portrays beauty as being model thin, or having fair skin, etc. This portrayal makes everyone who does not look like the women they call beautiful to feel self conscious, to hate their bodies, and some go to extreme measures to live up to what they believe are the world's expectations of themselves. The extreme measure in this novel was going to the Body Institute to become a Loaner.

A Loaner allows another person, a Reducer, to pretty much take over their body through mind-swapping technology. The Reducer's body lies in suspended animation while they inhabit the Loaner's body and their job is to get the Loaner into shape. It is kind of a freaky concept really. While it seems like its for the betterment of humans, getting into shape means living a healthy life, it also brings about some ethical issues which brings us to those who oppose the Body Institute. Just like those who would go to extreme measures to meet society's standards, those opposed to the institute also go to extremes.

Our protagonist Morgan is very fit and in shape. However, because her grandfather has collected quite a hefty amount of debt, her family is struggling financially. This financial struggle is what leads Morgan to enroll in the Reducer program as credits are rewarded to those who help the cause. After her first assignment, Morgan is given another which could eliminate her family's debt completely, so naturally she finds it impossible to turn down. Well, a TON of stuff goes down once she takes her second assignment. Protesters go too far, lines between who is wrong and right become blurred, and we see how awful Morgan's Loaner body was treated by others because of her heaviness.

This book had me hooked. It was amazing in every way. The writing was wonderful, the characters relatable and the romance just right. There were so many times I was caught off guard by what was happening which is exactly why I loved it. 

The Body Institute was more than just a novel. It showed a harsh reality as well. People are treated differently because of how they look and it is very unfair. If we continue on our judgmental path, a future like the one in this novel, where people are cruelly treated and cast out of society for being overweight, may not be too far away. Appearances are only part of who we are, we are much more than what we look like and that is what I believe was the moral of this novel and why I would recommend it to everyone.

5 out of 5

View all my reviews reviews