BLOG TOUR: I Am Alive by Cameron Jace BOOK REVIEW & GIVEAWAY (Dystopia Reading Challenge Book 4)

I Am Alive
Cameron Jace
Series: I Am Alive #1
Publication: May 23rd, 2012
Genre: YA Dystopian

Blurb

Every girl dies – not every girl really lives.

Sixteen-year-old Decca Tenderstone feels captivated when she meets gorgeous and reckless Leo, who is arrogant, silent, beautiful, and shoots almost every one he meets.

the usual boring girl meets badboy story… hmm… with a twist …

They live in a dystopian future in Los Angeles where every sixteen-year-old is ranked on a scale from one to ten to determine their future. Outranks, who are considered a danger to society, are forced to attend the Monster Show, a brutal sacrificing ritual that is broadcasted worldwide on live TV, where rebellious teens are labelled Bad Kidz or Monsters and get to fight for their lives in deadly games.

To prove that you’re still alive you have to scream I Am Alive every six hours. Lower your voice, and you’re dead.

Deccaa doesn’t need Leo’s company. She has a secret of her own. While they both can’t stand each other, she will find out why she doesn’t fit into any rank.

Nothing will stand in her way as she has to make choices concerning love, life, staying alive, growing up, and finding out who she really is.

My Book Review

So I was ITCHING to get started on this book for my Dystopia Reading Challenge and last week I got the chance to finally sit down with it. So what did I think?

Well, firstly, I was not really impressed with the very first chapter. There was SO MUCH talk about the numbering system used in this dystopian world. For someone who HATES maths, this was nearly a deal-breaker for me.

Oh, how I was wrong though. boy was I thankful I persevered. Best chapter ending ever occurs at the end of chapter one. Seriously, it makes all the number talk so worth it!

Once past chapter one, things really start to pick up. Quickly you are thrust into the world of the main character, Decca, someone who you initially assume is a bit of a push over. Initially, she seems eager to please society and every evil that befalls a dystopian universe. But thanks to the little twist at the end of the first chapter, we find out that Decca is seriously messed up! And it’s thanks to this that we are aware that she will either be truly hideous (and the lowest on the numbering system) or unbelievably magnificent (a perfect ten). The snide remarks that Decca is continuously spouting to the reader draws you in and makes you feel like you are really a part of the action.

So the main character, thanks to a little craftiness on her behalf ends up in the monster games. She will have to fight for her life and kill other teenagers in the process. Yes, it’s just like The Hunger Games. Yes, it’s just like The Running Man too. It’s a common theme in dystopia, so if you really enjoy YA dystopia, and you are actually a young adult, then I am guessing that you will love this book!

As for adults who like reading YA, then perhaps it won’t be so much your cup of tea. While I enjoyed this via proxy (I kept imagining how much my niece will love this book when I gift it to her on Kindle), I also found the references to zwitter, zootube (and the rationale behind it) a little silly. Also, towards the end, there is a LOT of suspension of reality if you want to believe the story line. And at times the logistics of what is happening just don’t line up and you are left wondering how all that could possibly be happening at the one time or is it even humanly possible to achieve that. Once again, if you’re a young adult, then this will probably work for you.

At times I also found the author over explained situations and experiences. While some people love this and immerse themselves into the imaginary world this way, I am not one of those people. I like to work things out for myself and discover more to the story with each reading. Also, sometimes the author gives us clumsy sentence structure that had me reading back over them to work out what he meant.

Some of the scenes (watch out for a scene where the love interest thinks he is dead and talking to god) are riotously hilarious I found myself on several occasions laughing out loud at things. Oh, and I need to add a special mention to a character here too: Prophet Hannibal Xitler. Best name for a villainous villain EVER! An honorary mention also goes to the fact that Disneyland is the scene for these horrendous monster games. Nice gruesome twist there Cameron Jace *high five*

There are references to political correctness gone mad that made me laugh out loud. The imaginative twists on our reality as seen through the eyes of a future generation is also fantastic. To see how easily relics from the past can be manipulated and twisted to suit the government (or, dare I say it, religion) of the time, is scary and a timely reminder to us all to validate every thing we take for granted and to always look for the truth rather than be blindly spoon-fed it by ‘authority’ figures.

All in all, I am Alive is a fun YA read and I give it 3.5 out of 5 stars. I am eager to read more by author Cameron Jace.

Wonderlander, Neverlander, Unicorn-chaser, enchanter, musician, survived a coma, & totally awesome. Sometimes I tell stories. Always luv the little monsters I write young adult paranormal romance, urban fantasy, and science fiction mostly. The Grimm Diaries series is a seven book saga that deals with retellings of fairy tales from a young adult POV – it connects most of the fairy tales together and claims to be the truth about fairy tales. I live in San Fransisco and seriously think circles are way cooler than triangles.

March 4th

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March 5th

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