Waiting on Wednesday: All The Rage

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we cannot wait to get our hands on.

 I am waiting on:

Title: All the Rage

Author: Courtney Summers

Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin

Publication Date: April 14, 2015
Genre: Young Adult, Realistic Fiction, 

The sheriff’s son, Kellan Turner, is not the golden boy everyone thinks he is, and Romy Grey knows that for a fact. Because no one wants to believe a girl from the wrong side of town, the truth about him has cost her everything—friends, family, and her community. Branded a liar and bullied relentlessly by a group of kids she used to hang out with, Romy’s only refuge is the diner where she works outside of town. No one knows her name or her past there; she can finally be anonymous. But when a girl with ties to both Romy and Kellan goes missing after a party, and news of him assaulting another girl in a town close by gets out, Romy must decide whether she wants to fight or carry the burden of knowing more girls could get hurt if she doesn’t speak up. Nobody believed her the first time—and they certainly won’t now — but the cost of her silence might be more than she can bear.　
With a shocking conclusion and writing that will absolutely knock you out, All the Rage examines the shame and silence inflicted upon young women after an act of sexual violence, forcing us to ask ourselves: In a culture that refuses to protect its young girls, how can they survive?

Why am I waiting?

While I get that this book is not going to be an easy book to read, I also have a feeling the Courtney Summers is going to handle the subject delicately, but brutally truthful too. This one I know I am most likely going to need a big box of Kleenex for at times, but hopefully it is an open read, even as a piece of fiction. 

What are you waiting on?

Make sure to let me know in the comments

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Book Review: This Is Not a Test by Courtney Summers

Title: This Is Not a Test
Author: Courtney Summers
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Publication Date: June 19, 2012

PRE-ORDER THIS IS NOT A TEST

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It’s the end of the world. Six students have taken cover in Cortege High but shelter is little comfort when the dead outside won’t stop pounding on the doors. One bite is all it takes to kill a person and bring them back as a monstrous version of their former self. To Sloane Price, that doesn’t sound so bad. Six months ago, her world collapsed and since then, she’s failed to find a reason to keep going. Now seems like the perfect time to give up. As Sloane eagerly waits for the barricades to fall, she’s forced to witness the apocalypse through the eyes of five people who actually want to live. But as the days crawl by, the motivations for survival change in startling ways and soon the group’s fate is determined less and less by what’s happening outside and more and more by the unpredictable and violent bids for life—and death—inside. When everything is gone, what do you hold on to?

MY REVIEW

This Is Not a Test by Courtney Summers is a beautifully written tale of grief and survival. This is not your typical blood and gore zombie tale. The zombies act more as a catalyst to propel the story into one that explores what people will do to survive, and the emotions that result from those decisions. Sloane has reached her breaking point, and decided she cannot live this life anymore. Too bad for her, the day that she decides she is ready to give up, the zombie apocalypse happens. Now she is trapped in the school with five of her classmates.

Barricaded within the school, Sloane has to see all the other survivors fighting to survive, and explore her reasons for giving up on life. With six different personalities trapped alone in a school, relationships, and loyalties are tested. The real question is, when the world is gone, does humanity go with it? Courtney Summer has taken the question and spun a stunning story exploring for the answer.

I am always up for a great zombie book, so I had to read this one! To my amazement and happy surprise, this book is so much more than zombies. This Is Not a Test is such an emotional and thought-provoking read. While Sloane may sound like a weak character, I truly find that she has a powerful inner strength. This story is not just about Sloane, it is also about the events that happened before the outbreak, the throughout the rest of the story.

Even if you are not a fan of zombies, this book is a must read. It is just so much more, and so amazing. I had to take time and think about this book after reading it. This review maybe a bit on the gushy side, but any book that makes me think this hard deserves my admiration for both the story and the author who tells it.

Update: It has been about a month or so since I read This Is Not a Test and wrote this review. Sometimes feelings change over time, but not with This Is Not a Test. It is a beautiful book, and it really is one of my favorite reads on 2012.

**Unabridged Bookshelf received this book from the publisher, in exchange for an honest review**

QUESTIONS I THOUGHT WHILE READING?

Would you change if all the pretenses and the whole idea of image disappeared in the blink of an eye? Would you still be the loser, the nerd, the jock, or just a human being who is fighting to survive? 

Thank you for stopping by Unabridged Bookshelf!

Waiting on Wednesday: This Is Not a Test

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we cannot wait to get our hands on.
I am waiting on:

Title: This Is Not a Test

Author: Courtney Summers

Publisher: St. Martins

Publication Date: June 19, 2012

GOODREADS SUMMARY: It’s the end of the world. Six students have taken cover in Cortege High but shelter is little comfort when the dead outside won’t stop pounding on the doors. One bite is all it takes to kill a person and bring them back as a monstrous version of their former self. To Sloane Price, that doesn’t sound so bad. Six months ago, her world collapsed and since then, she’s failed to find a reason to keep going. Now seems like the perfect time to give up. As Sloane eagerly waits for the barricades to fall, she’s forced to witness the apocalypse through the eyes of five people who actually want to live. But as the days crawl by, the motivations for survival change in startling ways and soon the group’s fate is determined less and less by what’s happening outside and more and more by the unpredictable and violent bids for life—and death—inside. When everything is gone, what do you hold on to?

Why am I waiting?

It sounds really good, and a very unique perspective of a zombie apocalypse.

I have heard it compared to the Breakfast Club meets Zombie Apocalypse, so I mean I just have to check it out. 

What are you waiting on?

Leave me a link, so I can check it out! I always love to find new books!

Thanks for stopping by Unabridged Bookshelf!