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New World #1
Switch
All’s fair in love and war.
Two thirds of the world's population has been wiped out, devastated by the worst war earth has ever seen. Still standing amongst the ruins is a mind reader who finds herself on the wrong side of the war. Everyone does what they must to survive. When the rebels bent on bringing down the New World leader start to rise up, it is her job to make sure they stay down where they belong. That is, until one rebel sneaks past her defences and into her heart. Love will blossom from the ashes, but will it be enough to save them, or will it mean the end of them both?
*This book is for mature audiences due to sexual situations, violence and strong language. NA
Two thirds of the world's population has been wiped out, devastated by the worst war earth has ever seen. Still standing amongst the ruins is a mind reader who finds herself on the wrong side of the war. Everyone does what they must to survive. When the rebels bent on bringing down the New World leader start to rise up, it is her job to make sure they stay down where they belong. That is, until one rebel sneaks past her defences and into her heart. Love will blossom from the ashes, but will it be enough to save them, or will it mean the end of them both?
*This book is for mature audiences due to sexual situations, violence and strong language. NA
259 pages, Paperback
First published August 23, 2013
55 people are currently reading
2695 people want to read
About the author
Janelle Stalder
29 books379 followersJanelle Stalder was born and raised in Brampton, Ontario. At an early age she developed a love for literature. Her debut novel, Eden, was the first book in a series of four, released in September of 2011. Since then she has released an Adult Dystopian Romance series, the New World Series, hitting the best sellers list on Amazon. She has also released a Mature YA/NA novel, Brush Strokes, that stayed on the best sellers list for contemporary romance for sixteen straight weeks. She is a strong supporter of other independent authors and loves to interact with her readers.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 136 reviews
December 11, 2013
Wow! There are so many things I loved about Switch, I don't even know where to start. I finished reading it last night and sat staring at my Kindle wanting more – I guess I thought maybe if I stared long enough more will show up? It didn't work, so don't waste your time trying. That ending though…Oh. My. God. I have no idea how I am supposed to wait patiently for the next book to come out.
So, let's start with the characters…Charlotte/Dinah is pretty awesome. She was totally badass, but at the same time she was completely vulnerable. Confused? Me too. She was stuck in the world alone, betrayed by her family, and pissed off at everyone and everything. She was scared and in a helpless situation, but she made it all awesome by being a brassy bitch to everyone. She might not have control over her situation, but she was not going to take it lying down. She did what she had to in order to survive. She was driven by her anger and resentment, but she was determined to live. Did I mention she reads minds? You would think with this ability that she would be all-powerful, all-knowing, but this was not the case. I really think this is what I liked most about this book. She was still very human and had her own share of troubles. The mind reading definitely gave her an advantage, but there were people she could not read and situations were sometimes out of her control. She questioned herself and the people around her, never quite sure where she was supposed to fit in.
Roman really threw me for a loop. I was never quite sure what to think of him. Dinah seemed to trust him, but all the while I was waiting for the knife in the back. I understand the next book is about him (which I have to wait a whole year for!), and I am so looking forward to it. I have this need to understand him, to know what makes him tick. Even at this point, after having finished Switch, I am not sure if I love him or hate him! Talk about messing with the mind…
Pete is just plain freaking awesome. He has so many layers I'm not even sure where to start with him. Just to list a few of his so many wonderful traits: He is gorgeous, sweet, and charming (can we say lady's man?). He is loyal, trustworthy, and protective of those he loves. He fights for what he believes in, even if that means going against the status quo. In short, he is the kind of guy you want by your side.
There are more, but I seriously cannot write about all of them – this review will be as long as the book! Let's just say that each of the characters in this story was amazingly written. Even the secondary characters who might not seem all that important individually brought their own personality to the story, and it all came together to create this fantastic world.
Some other things I loved (I'll try to make this quick)…First, the relationships in the story were perfect. From Dinah and Pete, Pete and his brothers, Pete and Bridgette, and even Dinah and Roman, each relationship was meshed out and complex. Next, the writing itself was fantastic. The author was able to bring mystery and uncertainty to every part of her story. Not once while I was reading did I know exactly what was going to happen next. It definitely kept me on the edge, questioning everything. And again with that ending…it's driving me crazy trying to imagine how it is going to play out. Well done Janelle Stalder, and thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to read your story.
So, let's start with the characters…Charlotte/Dinah is pretty awesome. She was totally badass, but at the same time she was completely vulnerable. Confused? Me too. She was stuck in the world alone, betrayed by her family, and pissed off at everyone and everything. She was scared and in a helpless situation, but she made it all awesome by being a brassy bitch to everyone. She might not have control over her situation, but she was not going to take it lying down. She did what she had to in order to survive. She was driven by her anger and resentment, but she was determined to live. Did I mention she reads minds? You would think with this ability that she would be all-powerful, all-knowing, but this was not the case. I really think this is what I liked most about this book. She was still very human and had her own share of troubles. The mind reading definitely gave her an advantage, but there were people she could not read and situations were sometimes out of her control. She questioned herself and the people around her, never quite sure where she was supposed to fit in.
Roman really threw me for a loop. I was never quite sure what to think of him. Dinah seemed to trust him, but all the while I was waiting for the knife in the back. I understand the next book is about him (which I have to wait a whole year for!), and I am so looking forward to it. I have this need to understand him, to know what makes him tick. Even at this point, after having finished Switch, I am not sure if I love him or hate him! Talk about messing with the mind…
Pete is just plain freaking awesome. He has so many layers I'm not even sure where to start with him. Just to list a few of his so many wonderful traits: He is gorgeous, sweet, and charming (can we say lady's man?). He is loyal, trustworthy, and protective of those he loves. He fights for what he believes in, even if that means going against the status quo. In short, he is the kind of guy you want by your side.
There are more, but I seriously cannot write about all of them – this review will be as long as the book! Let's just say that each of the characters in this story was amazingly written. Even the secondary characters who might not seem all that important individually brought their own personality to the story, and it all came together to create this fantastic world.
Some other things I loved (I'll try to make this quick)…First, the relationships in the story were perfect. From Dinah and Pete, Pete and his brothers, Pete and Bridgette, and even Dinah and Roman, each relationship was meshed out and complex. Next, the writing itself was fantastic. The author was able to bring mystery and uncertainty to every part of her story. Not once while I was reading did I know exactly what was going to happen next. It definitely kept me on the edge, questioning everything. And again with that ending…it's driving me crazy trying to imagine how it is going to play out. Well done Janelle Stalder, and thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to read your story.
January 13, 2016
4.5
This one is closer to Adult dystopia than to YA dystopia. Bingo! Just what I need right now. In all honesty I don't understand why it isn't more popular, it deserves a better rating just for the strenght of the premise and the fact that it must have been the first NA dystopia out there. Not that I've found too many NA dystopias anyway.
The book has a good balance between darkness and humor, darkness and entertainment. I wish it have been heavier on the romance that's why I was about to rate it four, but considering the way the author seem to have put a lot of thought in showing us, and not telling us how things work in this world, and how she didn't make the same mistakes of other dystopia writers that use cliche after cliche this book deserves a 5 stars.
I'm going to read more of this author.
This one is closer to Adult dystopia than to YA dystopia. Bingo! Just what I need right now. In all honesty I don't understand why it isn't more popular, it deserves a better rating just for the strenght of the premise and the fact that it must have been the first NA dystopia out there. Not that I've found too many NA dystopias anyway.
The book has a good balance between darkness and humor, darkness and entertainment. I wish it have been heavier on the romance that's why I was about to rate it four, but considering the way the author seem to have put a lot of thought in showing us, and not telling us how things work in this world, and how she didn't make the same mistakes of other dystopia writers that use cliche after cliche this book deserves a 5 stars.
I'm going to read more of this author.
August 26, 2013
4♥'s, and even a smidgen extra.
I really enjoyed the ensemble cast, how worlds collided, crap hit the fan, and there seemed a (less than) 5 degrees of separation between the survivors (both in charge, and the population being pushed down 'by the man'.) I was engaged and eager to finish, especially to see the wild tangles of stories get finally woven together into one. While the mechanics and history of the 'New World' is left somewhat ambiguous, my inner rebel was wanting to start a battle against both 'the man' and 'the rebels'. Somehow, a line from Romeo and Juliet comes to mind, "All are punished." That describes both sides of the fight- they are both power hungry, and flawed, and cold, and neither will provide a worthwhile future.
There are a moments that didn't work for me... well, I guess the better word would be tone. I felt, especially in the beginning when we are still somewhat disoriented as to where the book is geographically, the dialect, colloquialisms, slang, and other phrases didn't give a sense (even post-switch) of the region like I felt it should have. (The basic idea that even post-disaster I would still expect to hear colloquialisms... like Australians saying 'barbie' or Texans saying 'Y'all', those kind of things. After about a third of the book, they do appear more often, but I still wish I got to see a little more lovely 'accent'.
One thing that I do have to give kudos to- I never react how I expect I would to certain characters. Like you think 'rebels' and I get visions of Luke in a storm trooper outfit, and Lando in his cape, and the Princess with her matching bun earwarmers... all happy things. But when it comes to this war, except for a few key players, I'm just against the war all together. Dammed either way it seems- between a rock and a hard place. I think I need some rose colored glasses to make me see the hope. Maybe some Ewokes, too. Although the male hotness does help.
Overall, 4 BadAss stars and a smidgen extra!
I received a free ARC eBook from Janelle in exchange for an unbiased review.
I really enjoyed the ensemble cast, how worlds collided, crap hit the fan, and there seemed a (less than) 5 degrees of separation between the survivors (both in charge, and the population being pushed down 'by the man'.) I was engaged and eager to finish, especially to see the wild tangles of stories get finally woven together into one. While the mechanics and history of the 'New World' is left somewhat ambiguous, my inner rebel was wanting to start a battle against both 'the man' and 'the rebels'. Somehow, a line from Romeo and Juliet comes to mind, "All are punished." That describes both sides of the fight- they are both power hungry, and flawed, and cold, and neither will provide a worthwhile future.
There are a moments that didn't work for me... well, I guess the better word would be tone. I felt, especially in the beginning when we are still somewhat disoriented as to where the book is geographically, the dialect, colloquialisms, slang, and other phrases didn't give a sense (even post-switch) of the region like I felt it should have. (The basic idea that even post-disaster I would still expect to hear colloquialisms... like Australians saying 'barbie' or Texans saying 'Y'all', those kind of things. After about a third of the book, they do appear more often, but I still wish I got to see a little more lovely 'accent'.
One thing that I do have to give kudos to- I never react how I expect I would to certain characters. Like you think 'rebels' and I get visions of Luke in a storm trooper outfit, and Lando in his cape, and the Princess with her matching bun earwarmers... all happy things. But when it comes to this war, except for a few key players, I'm just against the war all together. Dammed either way it seems- between a rock and a hard place. I think I need some rose colored glasses to make me see the hope. Maybe some Ewokes, too. Although the male hotness does help.
Overall, 4 BadAss stars and a smidgen extra!
I received a free ARC eBook from Janelle in exchange for an unbiased review.
December 16, 2015
review to come
May 27, 2013
Review to be posted on K-Books later on closer to release.
Please note that this review is of the Beta Version.
Oh. My. God! There are seriously no words to explain my seriously obsession and love for this book. Janelle Stalder is seriously becoming my favourite author of all time. I adore her. I first came across Janelle's work when she sent me her debut fantasy novel Eden for review and I seriously fell head over heels in love with it. When she told me about her new novel which was a dystopia I instantly knew it was a must-read. I adore Janelle's writing and world building and I am such a sucker for a good dystopia.... Before reading Switch I truly thought that nothing Janelle wrote could quite live up to Eden... but boy was I wrong. She has done it again! I was completely sucked into this world right from the start and literally could not put it down. If it wasn't for the fact that I really needed to sleep I could have easily finished this book in one sitting. It is that fantastic!
Two thirds of the world's population has been wiped out. We are left with a broken society and a ruthless ruler. Charlotte has never wanted anything to do with the politics of her now broken society or the rebel's that want change. She just wants to keep her head down and survive as best she can with her older sister. But when the ruthless leaders' second hand man walks into her life and discovers her secret she knows nothing will be the same. Dragged into the ongoing war between the new government and the rebels Charlotte's job is to keep unknown and stop those threatening her leader. But when she meets one rebel she starts to have feelings she has never experienced before. Stuck on two opposite sides of a war they must decide between their duty and their love. Can love really conquer all when the world could be dependent on their decision?
Janelle's writing style just gets better and better with each book that she writes. I seriously cannot put her books down. No matter how many pages her books are I pretty much demolish them in a couple of hours. I have no more words to just explain how much I love her! She is without a doubt one of the most phenomenal authors out there and I will never ever tire of her work. She is just fantastic! Switch is seriously one of the best dystopia novels I have ever read. It really completely sucked me in and gave me that 'dystopia-love' feeling I got while reading The Hunger Games and Divergent... but I think I may love Switch even more. There is not one single thing that I didn't love about this book. It was just completely perfect!
Charlotte, oh hail the queen of kick-ass heroines. Charlotte is freaking AWESOME! I don't think I've ever met a heroine more kick-ass than her. She is strong, independent and freaking powerful! All the ingredients for a phanomenal heroine! I love her! I love her strength and I love how she start off as this innocent 16 year old girl and grown into this powerful strong woman. She grows so much in this book but I also love how even though she changes into this kick-ass heroine nobody in their right mind would mess with she still has this vulnerability. It makes her more human and somebody that we can all relate to.
Pete... oh my bestill my heart because I am 100% in love! I thought Wolf from Janelle's Eden series was swoon-worthy... Pete is just epically amazing. I adore him! He is strong, protective, sexy. Total badboy while still being such a sweet and loving guy underneath. He had me grinning at my eReader like a complete fool all the way through the book... and I blushed! I NEVER blush at books but Pete made the impossible possible. I am just completely and utterly in love!
Switch just completely blew me away! I mean my expectations were already crazy high because of how much I adore Janelle's Eden series but this just completly blew those expectations out of the water and surpassed any thought I could have ever had about how awesome this would be. It was the awesomeness I knew would be there but it was so much more than that. I just loved every moment and I was hanging on every single word. A dinosaur could have walked into my room when I was reading this and I wouldn't have even noticed. I was far to engrossed in this incredible world and story. All I can say is Janelle is fast becoming my second favourite author (Sorry Janelle but nobody beats JLA ;P) and I just seriously cannot wait for her next work, whether it be in the Eden series or this one. It's official I am obsessive Janelle fangirl for life!
I loved every single second of it and I just want to go and re-read it over and over again. This is a must-read for everyone. You love dystopia? You MUST read this.... you don't like dystopia? You still must read this! It's phenomenal and fantastic but no words I could ever think of would do this book justice so you just gotta go get it and read it for yourself... what are you waiting for? GO! GO! GO!
Please note that this review is of the Beta Version.
Oh. My. God! There are seriously no words to explain my seriously obsession and love for this book. Janelle Stalder is seriously becoming my favourite author of all time. I adore her. I first came across Janelle's work when she sent me her debut fantasy novel Eden for review and I seriously fell head over heels in love with it. When she told me about her new novel which was a dystopia I instantly knew it was a must-read. I adore Janelle's writing and world building and I am such a sucker for a good dystopia.... Before reading Switch I truly thought that nothing Janelle wrote could quite live up to Eden... but boy was I wrong. She has done it again! I was completely sucked into this world right from the start and literally could not put it down. If it wasn't for the fact that I really needed to sleep I could have easily finished this book in one sitting. It is that fantastic!
Two thirds of the world's population has been wiped out. We are left with a broken society and a ruthless ruler. Charlotte has never wanted anything to do with the politics of her now broken society or the rebel's that want change. She just wants to keep her head down and survive as best she can with her older sister. But when the ruthless leaders' second hand man walks into her life and discovers her secret she knows nothing will be the same. Dragged into the ongoing war between the new government and the rebels Charlotte's job is to keep unknown and stop those threatening her leader. But when she meets one rebel she starts to have feelings she has never experienced before. Stuck on two opposite sides of a war they must decide between their duty and their love. Can love really conquer all when the world could be dependent on their decision?
Janelle's writing style just gets better and better with each book that she writes. I seriously cannot put her books down. No matter how many pages her books are I pretty much demolish them in a couple of hours. I have no more words to just explain how much I love her! She is without a doubt one of the most phenomenal authors out there and I will never ever tire of her work. She is just fantastic! Switch is seriously one of the best dystopia novels I have ever read. It really completely sucked me in and gave me that 'dystopia-love' feeling I got while reading The Hunger Games and Divergent... but I think I may love Switch even more. There is not one single thing that I didn't love about this book. It was just completely perfect!
Charlotte, oh hail the queen of kick-ass heroines. Charlotte is freaking AWESOME! I don't think I've ever met a heroine more kick-ass than her. She is strong, independent and freaking powerful! All the ingredients for a phanomenal heroine! I love her! I love her strength and I love how she start off as this innocent 16 year old girl and grown into this powerful strong woman. She grows so much in this book but I also love how even though she changes into this kick-ass heroine nobody in their right mind would mess with she still has this vulnerability. It makes her more human and somebody that we can all relate to.
Pete... oh my bestill my heart because I am 100% in love! I thought Wolf from Janelle's Eden series was swoon-worthy... Pete is just epically amazing. I adore him! He is strong, protective, sexy. Total badboy while still being such a sweet and loving guy underneath. He had me grinning at my eReader like a complete fool all the way through the book... and I blushed! I NEVER blush at books but Pete made the impossible possible. I am just completely and utterly in love!
Switch just completely blew me away! I mean my expectations were already crazy high because of how much I adore Janelle's Eden series but this just completly blew those expectations out of the water and surpassed any thought I could have ever had about how awesome this would be. It was the awesomeness I knew would be there but it was so much more than that. I just loved every moment and I was hanging on every single word. A dinosaur could have walked into my room when I was reading this and I wouldn't have even noticed. I was far to engrossed in this incredible world and story. All I can say is Janelle is fast becoming my second favourite author (Sorry Janelle but nobody beats JLA ;P) and I just seriously cannot wait for her next work, whether it be in the Eden series or this one. It's official I am obsessive Janelle fangirl for life!
I loved every single second of it and I just want to go and re-read it over and over again. This is a must-read for everyone. You love dystopia? You MUST read this.... you don't like dystopia? You still must read this! It's phenomenal and fantastic but no words I could ever think of would do this book justice so you just gotta go get it and read it for yourself... what are you waiting for? GO! GO! GO!
March 5, 2014
5 Words: Deception, anger, love, betrayal, hope.
Wow. What a book.
I bought this a while ago and it's been sitting on my kindle waiting for me to read it. What prompted me to pick it up? The blog tour for the second book in the series.
I loved the characters in this. There was so much depth to them. They changed and grew and made mistakes. Some pretty big mistakes. There were characters I loved and characters I loathed and characters that really spoke to me. I love the relationships between them too.
Switch is a pretty dark book. It's a chilling read. But the author writes very well and there are small injections of humour to stop it being too doom-and-gloom.
I loved the world that Janelle Stalder created - it's all kinds of complicated craziness. There was a real sense of confusion surrounding what's good or bad, right or wrong.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book and I would definitely recommend it. I can't wait to get started on the next one!
Wow. What a book.
I bought this a while ago and it's been sitting on my kindle waiting for me to read it. What prompted me to pick it up? The blog tour for the second book in the series.
I loved the characters in this. There was so much depth to them. They changed and grew and made mistakes. Some pretty big mistakes. There were characters I loved and characters I loathed and characters that really spoke to me. I love the relationships between them too.
Switch is a pretty dark book. It's a chilling read. But the author writes very well and there are small injections of humour to stop it being too doom-and-gloom.
I loved the world that Janelle Stalder created - it's all kinds of complicated craziness. There was a real sense of confusion surrounding what's good or bad, right or wrong.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book and I would definitely recommend it. I can't wait to get started on the next one!
August 21, 2013
The year is 2035 and two thirds of the population has been wiped out by war, nuclear bombs and total mayhem. This chaos is led by New World leader, Ludwig Tenebris, a young charismatic dictator who shows no mercy. His second in command is Roman Adamson. In their search to uncover the rebel army, Roman goes into a district where he discovers Charlotte Hatcher. Charlotte has a secret that saves her life, she can read minds. And so the New World leader acquires their best weapon, Charlotte, who emerges 5 years later as Dinah or as most call her, Weapon X.
First and foremost I will say that this is my idea of a romance book. Kick ass female, hot men, action, drama, interesting world, sex and just lots of gushy moments that make me want to squeal and clap my hands like a schoolgirl. In my opinion, a good balance of plot and romance. Readers who do not like books heavy on romance (you know who you are) will not like this. Luckily, I’m not one of those peeps so I was in book heaven!!
Janelle Stalder has once again given us a story where the good guys aren’t always good and the evil guys make you want to hug them. Ok, maybe that last statement was a stretch… but it made you not hate them. Roman was a character that wasn’t developed as much as I hoped but if the ending is any indication, his story will be book 2. There were a couple of scenes that just made me feel the anguish he was going through. He clearly loves and cares for Charlotte though how far he would go to protect her is yet to be determined. What is clear is that he has been doing what he feels is right as the right hand man of Ludwig.
On the other side of the fight we meet rebel army leader Pete McKay who falls in love with Charlotte the moment they meet. I loved the chemistry between these two. Yeah, sometimes I don’t buy the whole “love at first sight” bullshit, but this sold it just right because I loved every single scene between these two. They find themselves on opposite sides of a war and question if they want to remain there. It was adorable to see Charlotte flirty and happy. I loved all the small gestures and the way the tension kept building between them.
Wish we’d had a chance to follow Charlotte through those five years before she meets McKay. Those years toughen her up and she is transformed into one bad ass bitch that nobody wants to cross. McKay was a guy I fell in love with immediately. He doesn’t take anyone’s crap and is always ready for a brawl but he also has a passionate heart. I couldn’t help but like him.
I’m sure that there are holes and inconsistencies that I either failed to notice or just didn’t pay too much attention to but I was too caught up in the story to care. Any book that grabs me from page one and doesn’t let go until I read that last sentence is a 5 star book.
Thank you Janelle Stalder for providing me with an ARC! Can’t wait for book 2.
First and foremost I will say that this is my idea of a romance book. Kick ass female, hot men, action, drama, interesting world, sex and just lots of gushy moments that make me want to squeal and clap my hands like a schoolgirl. In my opinion, a good balance of plot and romance. Readers who do not like books heavy on romance (you know who you are) will not like this. Luckily, I’m not one of those peeps so I was in book heaven!!
Janelle Stalder has once again given us a story where the good guys aren’t always good and the evil guys make you want to hug them. Ok, maybe that last statement was a stretch… but it made you not hate them. Roman was a character that wasn’t developed as much as I hoped but if the ending is any indication, his story will be book 2. There were a couple of scenes that just made me feel the anguish he was going through. He clearly loves and cares for Charlotte though how far he would go to protect her is yet to be determined. What is clear is that he has been doing what he feels is right as the right hand man of Ludwig.
On the other side of the fight we meet rebel army leader Pete McKay who falls in love with Charlotte the moment they meet. I loved the chemistry between these two. Yeah, sometimes I don’t buy the whole “love at first sight” bullshit, but this sold it just right because I loved every single scene between these two. They find themselves on opposite sides of a war and question if they want to remain there. It was adorable to see Charlotte flirty and happy. I loved all the small gestures and the way the tension kept building between them.
“He made some strangled noise at the back of his throat a second before his lips crashed into hers for the second time that day. As soon as their lips met, it was like she could breathe again. Like everything was suddenly just right because they were together – connected.”
Wish we’d had a chance to follow Charlotte through those five years before she meets McKay. Those years toughen her up and she is transformed into one bad ass bitch that nobody wants to cross. McKay was a guy I fell in love with immediately. He doesn’t take anyone’s crap and is always ready for a brawl but he also has a passionate heart. I couldn’t help but like him.
I’m sure that there are holes and inconsistencies that I either failed to notice or just didn’t pay too much attention to but I was too caught up in the story to care. Any book that grabs me from page one and doesn’t let go until I read that last sentence is a 5 star book.
Thank you Janelle Stalder for providing me with an ARC! Can’t wait for book 2.
April 23, 2013
Cover to come soon!!
August 20, 2013
When I heard that Janelle was coming out with a new NA series, I was like
When I first saw the cover, I was like
I couldn't wait to dive right in and
I was
The story is about a bad ass
female assasin named Weapon X!
The story starts off with Charlotte's family being killed by the leader of the New World. She is the only survivor and is sooo angry with her parents for not protecting her that she accepts it when the leader announces that she will be his greatest weapon.
What we find out is that Charlotte can read minds!
She can easily tell what someone will do before they do it!
To five years later. Charlotte has changed her name to Dinah and she really has become the greatest weapon. Everyone fears her. Her best friend is the very person that killed her mother right in front of her and she is still so very bitter with her parents. She runs into a little road block one night on a mission when someone finds out whom she truly is and that she is a girl!
Now, I loved the different POVs in this book! I love seeing what every character is thinking and Ms. Stalder does an excellent job with this. There was never any confusion as to whom was talking or thinking.
There are many swoony boys that made me do this
By the ending of the book, I was feeling like this
I can honestly say that I
this book sooo much!!!
There was lots of
and
I read the whole book in one sitting because
I COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN!!!
When I found out it was a series and there would be another book, I looked like this
Seriously! All of you NEED to check this series out! I know that I say this a lot but, I am totally serious about this one!!!
YES!!! I LOVED IT THAT MUCH!!!!
You need to go and
To Janelle:
for creating this wonderful story! Seriously, I loved it!!! And can't wait for the next book! I hope it's soon!
Hint Hint:)
or
August 10, 2013
Switch starts off fast, almost with a vengeance. You are sucked into the story the second you meet the main character miss charlotte/Dinah. Janelle Stalder paints a new world with such finesse you practically see it like a movie in your mind, but she also gifted us with a smooth transition. Instead of throwing the dystopian plot at you in one hurried over puffed up explanation, we get little pieces here and there enough to make sure you’re not lost but leaving you craving more.
This is a dystopian story with action, adventure and love. Plenty of twist and turns all through out the story line. On the last page I found myself shaking my nook, NO, this can't be it! But knowing that more stories will join the New World Series actually made the suffering more bearable.
Charlotte/Dinah is a kick ass lead character and full of strength and tenacity that you wish you saw more of in the paranormal and dystopian world. Janelle kicked it out of the park, or is it hit? Oh well she knocked the crap out of it! Just an awesome story.
With an amazing female heroine you of course need you your sexy male leads which Pete is definitely that guy. His story is that of an admirable one, and the personality he develops through the book blossoms into a strong, caring and sexy male lead! There are more characters in switch and each with their own life and stories and yet still incredibly easy to follow. I think each character was built and developed very well through out the story, but still I love me some Pete!
I want everyone to know this is an adult book, I couldn't really tell until the middle of the story, but once the adult come forth it stands out, and proud. I'm not a huge fan of adult books, and tend to skip over the blush worthy parts but Switch wasn't bad at all, in fact most scenes were only about two-three paragraphs, the longest one being about a page I think. The hot steamy parts peppered throughout the story are definitely drool worthy and will make you fall for your leading man Pete even more.
Basically my fellow readers and bloggers a great book, full of trials and tribulations, fear, mystery, action, love and most of all an addictive story line that makes it difficult if not impossible to tear yourself away from! I give this book 5 stars, and hope you all enjoy it, by far one of the best arch reads I have had the pleasure of reading and reviewing!
September 17, 2013
This review is more of my (negative)thoughts and reactions to the book rather than a normal review.
Switch simply reminded me too much of WW2 Germany, with the Gestapo, the ruthless, crazy leader, his terrifying cronies and the malcontent rebels. Maybe it is because I have been reading Antony Beevor but the similarities where a bit cringe, to be honest.
Obviously this was supposed to be the case, otherwise the city they lived in would not have been called 'New Berlin.' But it's like she couldn't be bothered to create her own world so she just delved into her high-school history book and used that as inspo.
However I thought the relationship she had with Peter was quite believable...not so sure if he would have been so trusting of her considering who she was though.
This book was just was not ambitious enough. Everything was just a little too close you know? Her father was the resistance leader and her boyfriend was second in command, she was left-hand-man to the dictator of the world and her long lost sister work in the strip joint just around the corner. I know reading a book about 'some nobody' is boring but at the same time it has to be believable. Dictators do not live in the middle of the city; especially not if there is a large rebel insurgency... and he wouldn't of sent in his most valuable weapon X as an undercover agent nor would she be able to run around like she was either.
TOO MANY HOLES!
Switch simply reminded me too much of WW2 Germany, with the Gestapo, the ruthless, crazy leader, his terrifying cronies and the malcontent rebels. Maybe it is because I have been reading Antony Beevor but the similarities where a bit cringe, to be honest.
Obviously this was supposed to be the case, otherwise the city they lived in would not have been called 'New Berlin.' But it's like she couldn't be bothered to create her own world so she just delved into her high-school history book and used that as inspo.
However I thought the relationship she had with Peter was quite believable...not so sure if he would have been so trusting of her considering who she was though.
This book was just was not ambitious enough. Everything was just a little too close you know? Her father was the resistance leader and her boyfriend was second in command, she was left-hand-man to the dictator of the world and her long lost sister work in the strip joint just around the corner. I know reading a book about 'some nobody' is boring but at the same time it has to be believable. Dictators do not live in the middle of the city; especially not if there is a large rebel insurgency... and he wouldn't of sent in his most valuable weapon X as an undercover agent nor would she be able to run around like she was either.
TOO MANY HOLES!
August 14, 2013
Find This and Other Reviews At Craves The Angst.
I received this eARC from the author in exchange for an honest review.
4 Unforgettable Spellbinding Stars!
Absolutely Magical! Janelle Stelder Mesmerizes You With This Addictive Read!
The Review:
I love Janelle Stalder’s writing. She always creates realistic worlds steeped in imagination and drama and she always combines a motley cast of characters who are fun and intriguing. This book was no different. She builds a complex, dystopian world where characters are suffering at the hands of a greedy tyrant and where good and evil face off. But like so much of her layered writing, good and evil are never black and white. Both sides are colored in variant shades of grey where good can sometimes hold darkness and evil can sometimes have a ray of light. That is very much the case with Switch.
Characters...
Young Charlotte’s home is invaded by New World soldiers. Leading the charge is Roman who is seeking information on Charlotte's father, accusing him of being involved with the rebels... and who has unfortunately abandoned Charlotte and her mother to face the soldiers alone. Roman begins to question the mother but upon Charlotte answering questions that Roman had yet to voice out loud, he realizes Charlotte for the treasure she could potentially be. Giving her the ultimatum of joining the New World army or death, Charlotte has to choose between a traitorous path or no path at all. With no one left to protect her, she must face the her new world alone. This is her story...
Quote Spotlight...
After, it was like nothing could touch her behind the walls she had built. It was the only way to survive now. Be strong, or be killed. She chose to be strong.
I totally LOVED Charlotte's characters. She was strong if not a bit misguided. But at such a young age, she had a difficult decision to make. And even then, her life was a lonely one. She existed behind the ruse of a different name and a mask the majority of her time, having very little interaction with other people. She formed a new family amongst the enemy in Roman and Ludwig, at first because of survival but I think she ultimately grew to care for them. However, she still closed herself off and decided to stay detached from the world as it was too much to bare. When she’s asked to go out and spy on the lowers, she’s terrified and doesn't know how to interact with them but soon finds herself engaged in a wondrous new world of laughter, friends and even love. And she’s in the position once again, to have to choose a side.
Quote Spotlight...
“What are you doing?”
He smiled, shoving his hands in his jean pockets and rocking back on his heels. “Watching you.”
A blush spread over her cheeks. “Why?”
Because you are beautiful and I can’t help it, he answered silently.
Pete and his merry band of rebels were fun! I loved watching them interact and receive Dinah, accepting her into their fold. She was able to shine while in their company and their lives were completely different than the one she has at headquarters. They were free loving and tried to enjoy life yet never forget their cause and what it meant.
Pete was an amazing hero. He was strong, caring and devoted to his family and friends. But he also could see past the blurred lines and had his sights set on Dinah, even knowing she could potentially destroy everything. He was willing to take the chance and I loved him for that.
Quote Spotlight...
“I don’t think I’ll ever get enough of you,” he breathed.
The Romance!
Pete and Dinah were super sweet! Any time they were in a scene together, my little heart swooned. They were passionate when together and wistful when apart in their forbidden love. And every time they kissed, I melted! I wanted a happy ending for these two. They needed and deserved it!
Quote Spotlight...
“I love you, Charlotte. I know we have a long road ahead of us, but there’s no one else I’d rather walk it with than you.”
“Ditto.”
Blurred Lines...
And here is the wonders of this author's talented writing come into focus! How she can make you love the enemy and dislike the heros.
Ludwig, Roman and Weapon X were supposed to be the bad guys but I found myself captivated by the little family they had formed. They seemed to genuinely care for one another, even if their purposes were nefarious. Roman loved Lotty as a sister and he cared and looked after her and I couldn’t help but be intrigued by them. Ludwig is set on dominating the world and crushing anyone in his path but he has a soft spot when it comes to his family.
The rebels are supposed to be the good guys but they have a Captain in their mists that also has it in his mind to rule. The rebels are supposed to be about taking back the world and giving it to the people but there are players in their factions who apparently missed the memo and want to take what Ludwig has stolen, so they can be the rulers. Everyone else is caught in between!
This is what I mean when I say good versus evil is never simple in Janelle Stalder’s books. She’s fantastic at creating mosaic situations, where anything could happen!
This is drama, heartache and adventure at its finest. Two opposing side, two very different dynamics, coming together despite the odds and finding something beautiful amongst the rubble.
Wish List...
There were a few clarification I wanted from this book that I didn’t get. First, how was Ludwig able to “flip the switch” and what is his endgame? How does Weapon X have mind reading abilities and is she the only one of her kind? How does Douglas know how to protect against her ability and how did he teach it to the rebels? How was it no one other than Pete noticed Weapon X was female? There were a few instances where I would have loved a better explanation of the events unfolding but the author has said that all will be revealed little by little throughout this series! Each character and their back stories will be addressed as well as their motives, so.. YAY!!!! Bring on the second book!
The Wrap Up:
As with her other books, Janelle Stalder’s remarkable gift of writing superb story lines, well developed and enchanting characters and a penchant for world building thats uniquely crafted to feel real and fantastical all at the same time has seeped its way into this incredible read and has me anxiously awaiting the next book... especially after that intense, nail biting cliffy! This is a fantastic start to a new series and I can’t wait for the next chapter!
I received this eARC from the author in exchange for an honest review.
4 Unforgettable Spellbinding Stars!
Absolutely Magical! Janelle Stelder Mesmerizes You With This Addictive Read!
The Review:
I love Janelle Stalder’s writing. She always creates realistic worlds steeped in imagination and drama and she always combines a motley cast of characters who are fun and intriguing. This book was no different. She builds a complex, dystopian world where characters are suffering at the hands of a greedy tyrant and where good and evil face off. But like so much of her layered writing, good and evil are never black and white. Both sides are colored in variant shades of grey where good can sometimes hold darkness and evil can sometimes have a ray of light. That is very much the case with Switch.
Characters...
Young Charlotte’s home is invaded by New World soldiers. Leading the charge is Roman who is seeking information on Charlotte's father, accusing him of being involved with the rebels... and who has unfortunately abandoned Charlotte and her mother to face the soldiers alone. Roman begins to question the mother but upon Charlotte answering questions that Roman had yet to voice out loud, he realizes Charlotte for the treasure she could potentially be. Giving her the ultimatum of joining the New World army or death, Charlotte has to choose between a traitorous path or no path at all. With no one left to protect her, she must face the her new world alone. This is her story...
Quote Spotlight...
After, it was like nothing could touch her behind the walls she had built. It was the only way to survive now. Be strong, or be killed. She chose to be strong.
I totally LOVED Charlotte's characters. She was strong if not a bit misguided. But at such a young age, she had a difficult decision to make. And even then, her life was a lonely one. She existed behind the ruse of a different name and a mask the majority of her time, having very little interaction with other people. She formed a new family amongst the enemy in Roman and Ludwig, at first because of survival but I think she ultimately grew to care for them. However, she still closed herself off and decided to stay detached from the world as it was too much to bare. When she’s asked to go out and spy on the lowers, she’s terrified and doesn't know how to interact with them but soon finds herself engaged in a wondrous new world of laughter, friends and even love. And she’s in the position once again, to have to choose a side.
Quote Spotlight...
“What are you doing?”
He smiled, shoving his hands in his jean pockets and rocking back on his heels. “Watching you.”
A blush spread over her cheeks. “Why?”
Because you are beautiful and I can’t help it, he answered silently.
Pete and his merry band of rebels were fun! I loved watching them interact and receive Dinah, accepting her into their fold. She was able to shine while in their company and their lives were completely different than the one she has at headquarters. They were free loving and tried to enjoy life yet never forget their cause and what it meant.
Pete was an amazing hero. He was strong, caring and devoted to his family and friends. But he also could see past the blurred lines and had his sights set on Dinah, even knowing she could potentially destroy everything. He was willing to take the chance and I loved him for that.
Quote Spotlight...
“I don’t think I’ll ever get enough of you,” he breathed.
The Romance!
Pete and Dinah were super sweet! Any time they were in a scene together, my little heart swooned. They were passionate when together and wistful when apart in their forbidden love. And every time they kissed, I melted! I wanted a happy ending for these two. They needed and deserved it!
Quote Spotlight...
“I love you, Charlotte. I know we have a long road ahead of us, but there’s no one else I’d rather walk it with than you.”
“Ditto.”
Blurred Lines...
And here is the wonders of this author's talented writing come into focus! How she can make you love the enemy and dislike the heros.
Ludwig, Roman and Weapon X were supposed to be the bad guys but I found myself captivated by the little family they had formed. They seemed to genuinely care for one another, even if their purposes were nefarious. Roman loved Lotty as a sister and he cared and looked after her and I couldn’t help but be intrigued by them. Ludwig is set on dominating the world and crushing anyone in his path but he has a soft spot when it comes to his family.
The rebels are supposed to be the good guys but they have a Captain in their mists that also has it in his mind to rule. The rebels are supposed to be about taking back the world and giving it to the people but there are players in their factions who apparently missed the memo and want to take what Ludwig has stolen, so they can be the rulers. Everyone else is caught in between!
This is what I mean when I say good versus evil is never simple in Janelle Stalder’s books. She’s fantastic at creating mosaic situations, where anything could happen!
This is drama, heartache and adventure at its finest. Two opposing side, two very different dynamics, coming together despite the odds and finding something beautiful amongst the rubble.
Wish List...
There were a few clarification I wanted from this book that I didn’t get. First, how was Ludwig able to “flip the switch” and what is his endgame? How does Weapon X have mind reading abilities and is she the only one of her kind? How does Douglas know how to protect against her ability and how did he teach it to the rebels? How was it no one other than Pete noticed Weapon X was female? There were a few instances where I would have loved a better explanation of the events unfolding but the author has said that all will be revealed little by little throughout this series! Each character and their back stories will be addressed as well as their motives, so.. YAY!!!! Bring on the second book!
The Wrap Up:
As with her other books, Janelle Stalder’s remarkable gift of writing superb story lines, well developed and enchanting characters and a penchant for world building thats uniquely crafted to feel real and fantastical all at the same time has seeped its way into this incredible read and has me anxiously awaiting the next book... especially after that intense, nail biting cliffy! This is a fantastic start to a new series and I can’t wait for the next chapter!
November 18, 2013
*I received this book in exchange for an honest review.
Holy Crap, Brilliant book!
I love the dystopian books but there are so many out there which I cant connect with making me not like them. Let me tell you.. SWITCH IS NOT ONE OF THEM! No sirreee. Thank you Janelle for giving me the chance to read Switch! I really needed this! It was a breath of fresh air. Seriously it was! The past week i've been going through books like it's chocolates, trying to find something new and different and boy let me tell you this was it!
Switch is full love, action, adventures, vengeance, sexy moments
This book started off with a bang literally. Charlotte witnessing her mother getting shot in the head right in front of her then being taken in by the soldiers who killed her mother and will be using Charlotte to their advantage after finding out hermindblowing secret.
Five years later, her whole life is transformed. Say hello to Dinah and bye bye to Charlotte Hatcher.
When she meets Pete Mckay, hot damn, felt like i was intruding in their private moment. He is a sexy, self assured, sarcastic and talented man, seriously he was perfect for Charlotte/Dinah.
Okay. So at the beginning when I found out Brigette was Petes best friend, I was very very jealous, I don’t know why I just was. It was like she was taking what was mine, which is stupid because he isn't mine. *sigh* I just love him so much. Sorry for the awkwardness, don't judge me.
Okaaaaaaay. Now moving onto Roman. I FREAKING LOVED HIM TOO. Maybe even better than Pete, i don't bloody know. They're both incredible alpha males. Hats off to both of you.
No lie, I was actually listening to Neyo – Closer.. It gave me shivers. Do not tell me you guys did not find this hot or you are all liars!
Aww this reminded me of Seth from the covenant series, I miss him, thank god for Roman, a strong, hot man outwardly but a soft cuddly, vulnerable bear inside. I know some people were confused by him but i loved him instantly, i knew he'd be amazing and he proved me right. I'm not going to lie, i did get jealous when he got the hots for Brigette. I'm so happy Masked is about them! WOOOOO
Cannot wait for Masked, needs to get released very soon!
I read this book in one sitting, it was so refreshing and got addicted to it straight away. I'm so grateful i had a chance to read this! I definitely recommend Switch to Dystopian lovers, you will love it!
“You’re mine now. I won’t let anyone hurt you.”
Holy Crap, Brilliant book!
I love the dystopian books but there are so many out there which I cant connect with making me not like them. Let me tell you.. SWITCH IS NOT ONE OF THEM! No sirreee. Thank you Janelle for giving me the chance to read Switch! I really needed this! It was a breath of fresh air. Seriously it was! The past week i've been going through books like it's chocolates, trying to find something new and different and boy let me tell you this was it!
Switch is full love, action, adventures, vengeance, sexy moments
This book started off with a bang literally. Charlotte witnessing her mother getting shot in the head right in front of her then being taken in by the soldiers who killed her mother and will be using Charlotte to their advantage after finding out her
Five years later, her whole life is transformed. Say hello to Dinah and bye bye to Charlotte Hatcher.
When she meets Pete Mckay, hot damn, felt like i was intruding in their private moment. He is a sexy, self assured, sarcastic and talented man, seriously he was perfect for Charlotte/Dinah.
“I’m glad your
face isn’t hidden from me. Now, to correct whatever thoughts I just saw running through
your head, it’s not that I don’t want you to call me McKay because you’re not a friend or
anything. I’d just prefer you call me something most people don’t. Make it’s a little more…
special.”
Okay. So at the beginning when I found out Brigette was Petes best friend, I was very very jealous, I don’t know why I just was. It was like she was taking what was mine, which is stupid because he isn't mine. *sigh* I just love him so much. Sorry for the awkwardness, don't judge me.
Okaaaaaaay. Now moving onto Roman. I FREAKING LOVED HIM TOO. Maybe even better than Pete, i don't bloody know. They're both incredible alpha males. Hats off to both of you.
“Come closer,” he said, one corner of his mouth lifting. She took a step forward and
stopped. He shook his head. “Closer.” He pointed to the spot right before him. Bridgette
swallowed nervously, forcing herself to move. She stepped off the stage, stopping where
his finger was still indicating.
No lie, I was actually listening to Neyo – Closer.. It gave me shivers. Do not tell me you guys did not find this hot or you are all liars!
“Now,” he answered with a grin. “So you’ll have to get your beauty rest in the backseat
of the truck.” He waggled his eyebrows suggestively. “We can cuddle.”
Aww this reminded me of Seth from the covenant series, I miss him, thank god for Roman, a strong, hot man outwardly but a soft cuddly, vulnerable bear inside. I know some people were confused by him but i loved him instantly, i knew he'd be amazing and he proved me right. I'm not going to lie, i did get jealous when he got the hots for Brigette. I'm so happy Masked is about them! WOOOOO
Cannot wait for Masked, needs to get released very soon!
I read this book in one sitting, it was so refreshing and got addicted to it straight away. I'm so grateful i had a chance to read this! I definitely recommend Switch to Dystopian lovers, you will love it!
“You’re mine now. I won’t let anyone hurt you.”
January 28, 2014
*I was provided a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.*
Rating: 5/5
How is it with Janelle and her books that they always make me fall in love with the characters and the world that they live in. Switch is a NA novel and the beginning of an amazing new series. Knowing Janelle, this series is only going to get better, so I am really excited I read the first book and can't wait for the second one.
Switch is set in the New World. It's 2040 and the world's population has been reduced to 1/3 of what it used to be. Two sisters, Charlotte and Bridgette, are on opposite sides of the war unaware that the other one is still alive and well. Charlotte can read minds and she's the newly added member of the tyrant's army, enjoying the high life, while Bridgette is living with the lowers and hanging out with the rebels, even though she doesn't want to be involved with anything that has to do with this war. After a surprise visit at a rebels' meeting, Charlotte, or actually Dinah, since she changed her name, is ordered to go undercover with the rebels and try to find out their secrets. But one of the rebels has figured out that she is a girl, something she's being trying to keep a secret for the longest time, and it's that rebel that she finds herself drawn to.
I loved this book. The characters are all amazing. I love books about sisters and I couldn't wait for Charlotte and Brigdette to meet again after five years of being separated. They were both amazing characters, even though they were so different. Charlotte was more kick-ass, while Bridgette was more caring and compassionate. But the characters I adored the most are the guys of this book. Roman, the man who took Charlotte to live with Ludwig(the tyrant), the McKay brothers, and of course Seamus, their friend. We mostly read about Pete McKay, who, let me tell you, is totally swoon-worthy. He is hot. He can play the guitar and sing. He is smart (he is the second in command of the rebels). And he is kick-ass. Roman on the other hand is more of the sarcastic type, which I adore. And the next book is going to be about him so I am super excited.
Then, there was the amazing New World that Janelle created. The new order of things, the tyrant, the rebels, the fights between the two, all of the above made this world vibrant and full of life. Janelle, once more, lets us see through the eyes of both sides making it hard to pick one, not because both sides are mostly good, like in her EDEN series, but because you can see that both sides are kind of bad.
Rating: 5/5
How is it with Janelle and her books that they always make me fall in love with the characters and the world that they live in. Switch is a NA novel and the beginning of an amazing new series. Knowing Janelle, this series is only going to get better, so I am really excited I read the first book and can't wait for the second one.
Switch is set in the New World. It's 2040 and the world's population has been reduced to 1/3 of what it used to be. Two sisters, Charlotte and Bridgette, are on opposite sides of the war unaware that the other one is still alive and well. Charlotte can read minds and she's the newly added member of the tyrant's army, enjoying the high life, while Bridgette is living with the lowers and hanging out with the rebels, even though she doesn't want to be involved with anything that has to do with this war. After a surprise visit at a rebels' meeting, Charlotte, or actually Dinah, since she changed her name, is ordered to go undercover with the rebels and try to find out their secrets. But one of the rebels has figured out that she is a girl, something she's being trying to keep a secret for the longest time, and it's that rebel that she finds herself drawn to.
I loved this book. The characters are all amazing. I love books about sisters and I couldn't wait for Charlotte and Brigdette to meet again after five years of being separated. They were both amazing characters, even though they were so different. Charlotte was more kick-ass, while Bridgette was more caring and compassionate. But the characters I adored the most are the guys of this book. Roman, the man who took Charlotte to live with Ludwig(the tyrant), the McKay brothers, and of course Seamus, their friend. We mostly read about Pete McKay, who, let me tell you, is totally swoon-worthy. He is hot. He can play the guitar and sing. He is smart (he is the second in command of the rebels). And he is kick-ass. Roman on the other hand is more of the sarcastic type, which I adore. And the next book is going to be about him so I am super excited.
Then, there was the amazing New World that Janelle created. The new order of things, the tyrant, the rebels, the fights between the two, all of the above made this world vibrant and full of life. Janelle, once more, lets us see through the eyes of both sides making it hard to pick one, not because both sides are mostly good, like in her EDEN series, but because you can see that both sides are kind of bad.
August 12, 2013
I’ve read all of Janelle Stalder’s books. When I first came across her writing, I knew instantly that she was a writer with a natural ability to tell stories, and I read the first three books in the Eden Series in less than a week, and am looking forward to the finale of that series, which I know is due out soon. I’m glad I was able to read all of her works in the order of which they were written, because the progress she makes each time she turns out a work is something that, as I writer, I greatly respect.
Because each of her books get better and better as she goes along, it follows suit that Switch is her best work yet. It is set in a dystopian world, but the primary focus is romance. We meet four primary characters, two of which are sisters who have found themselves on opposite sides of a terrible war. To make matters worse, each of the sisters begin to fall in love with men who are also on the side that opposes theirs. This made for very tense situations, which I love, because nothing reads faster than when characters you like almost instantly are tossed into boiling water, and have to find their ways out of it.
I loved the way Stalder handled the romance (which was delightfully steamy at many points) and I think this may be the thing I love most of all about Stalder’s writing. Whenever I’m in the mood to jump into a world where love is the driving the force, I know her books can get the job done. She is a master at making me wish “book boyfriends” were actual people. I’m sure most of you know what I mean. Pete was my fictional man in this story (so back off ladies!), just as Wolf was my man in the Eden series. Sigh.
I found myself instantly intrigued, and when it was finished, all I wanted to know was when the next book in this series would be out. I never review books, but felt it was a necessity for this one, as Stalder is a writer who should be looked out for, and given more attention for her abilities. You’ve got a fan in me, Ms. Stalder, and I anxiously await your next literary endeavor.
Because each of her books get better and better as she goes along, it follows suit that Switch is her best work yet. It is set in a dystopian world, but the primary focus is romance. We meet four primary characters, two of which are sisters who have found themselves on opposite sides of a terrible war. To make matters worse, each of the sisters begin to fall in love with men who are also on the side that opposes theirs. This made for very tense situations, which I love, because nothing reads faster than when characters you like almost instantly are tossed into boiling water, and have to find their ways out of it.
I loved the way Stalder handled the romance (which was delightfully steamy at many points) and I think this may be the thing I love most of all about Stalder’s writing. Whenever I’m in the mood to jump into a world where love is the driving the force, I know her books can get the job done. She is a master at making me wish “book boyfriends” were actual people. I’m sure most of you know what I mean. Pete was my fictional man in this story (so back off ladies!), just as Wolf was my man in the Eden series. Sigh.
I found myself instantly intrigued, and when it was finished, all I wanted to know was when the next book in this series would be out. I never review books, but felt it was a necessity for this one, as Stalder is a writer who should be looked out for, and given more attention for her abilities. You’ve got a fan in me, Ms. Stalder, and I anxiously await your next literary endeavor.
December 4, 2014
I was a bit disappointed with this book. There was no substantial progress in the plot all through the 200+ pages of the book and it felt that the story was more about the romantic developments of the main characters. The world building was lacking too...I wanted to know so many things. How New Berlin(the erstwhile city of London, which is the setting for the novel) looked as opposed to how it was before it got destroyed: "The once beautiful, historic facades were now nothing but crumbling brick and stone". Thats all I got: nothing about famous landmarks like maybe the Palace of Buckingham or the Westminster Abbey or any place of interest really which could make readers relate more to the world of the characters. Also, everybody was so accomodating with the fact that one of the main leads, Charlotte, could read minds. I mean, its not like there are others with abilities of some kind that will make Charlotte having powers also believable. No. Not only is she an odd duck, accepted by society with trepidation(but accepted nonetheless a little too easily: thats what bugged me the most) but also nobody cares how she got to have the power of mind reading. Some casual theories thrown around in a couple of paragraphs in the beginning, but thats it. By the end of the novel, the rebels are infighting, and the ultimate baddie - Ludwig, really has just handed Charlotte-his weapon X-on a platter to the rebels by encouraging her to spend more time with his enemies and surprise surprise, he does not even get her shadowed to check on her. Dude, way to go.
If this story was all about Charlotte falling in love with the rebels second in command, then the next book is about Charlotte's sister Bridgette falling in love with Ludwig's second in command. Phew!
I suppose it would have been an enjoyable novel if I had expected what I was getting into...but i started the book with quite different expectations. I guess Im the odd one out--it just wasnt my cup of tea.
If this story was all about Charlotte falling in love with the rebels second in command, then the next book is about Charlotte's sister Bridgette falling in love with Ludwig's second in command. Phew!
I suppose it would have been an enjoyable novel if I had expected what I was getting into...but i started the book with quite different expectations. I guess Im the odd one out--it just wasnt my cup of tea.
August 21, 2013
3.5
I would like to thank Janelle for providing me with this ARC opportunity. :)
Welcome to the Grey Side :)
Janelle Stalder has an amazing ability to show the dark side as consisting more of shades of grey. The prologue, the premise and the storyline sets you up for an absolute rollercoaster ride. This would have been a full fat 4 stars, probably a 4.5/5, but its down to my personal taste, that I had to stick with my 3.5. Maybe I'm still on the Eden train. I'm not ready to get off !
My rating does not reflect on whether I would recommend this book. Having read the book , I have the perfect audience in mind. New Adult, New Adult Contemporary Romance and Adult PNR fans :)
This is my first Dystopian New Adult book. I was craving a dystopian, with romance more as a backdrop, rather than the focus. Again, this results from my experience with New Adult in general currently, where I am always hankering for less intimate scenes, and more build up in the romance department.
Dinah starts off as one kick butt chick. Certainly noone I would like to cross. I was amazed by her transformation and wanted to know so much more about those years in between. It was interesting to experience her interactions with Roman, and then read what happens after they have been bantering.
The writing, the pace and the passion is as always, beautiful. For me though, I needed more time for a connection between the characters. Wolf ( from Eden) is one of my book boyfriends. Its no surprise :) And I didn't connect with McKay like I wanted to.
What I loved was the way you never really know who to root for. It makes for such an intriguing read.
I would like to thank Janelle for providing me with this ARC opportunity. :)
Welcome to the Grey Side :)
Janelle Stalder has an amazing ability to show the dark side as consisting more of shades of grey. The prologue, the premise and the storyline sets you up for an absolute rollercoaster ride. This would have been a full fat 4 stars, probably a 4.5/5, but its down to my personal taste, that I had to stick with my 3.5. Maybe I'm still on the Eden train. I'm not ready to get off !
My rating does not reflect on whether I would recommend this book. Having read the book , I have the perfect audience in mind. New Adult, New Adult Contemporary Romance and Adult PNR fans :)
This is my first Dystopian New Adult book. I was craving a dystopian, with romance more as a backdrop, rather than the focus. Again, this results from my experience with New Adult in general currently, where I am always hankering for less intimate scenes, and more build up in the romance department.
Dinah starts off as one kick butt chick. Certainly noone I would like to cross. I was amazed by her transformation and wanted to know so much more about those years in between. It was interesting to experience her interactions with Roman, and then read what happens after they have been bantering.
The writing, the pace and the passion is as always, beautiful. For me though, I needed more time for a connection between the characters. Wolf ( from Eden) is one of my book boyfriends. Its no surprise :) And I didn't connect with McKay like I wanted to.
What I loved was the way you never really know who to root for. It makes for such an intriguing read.
August 19, 2013
Quick review:
Cover: Nice
Rating: NC-17
Steaminess: HOT
Thumbs Up: 5
Overall: An awesome New Adult dystopian
Characters: Well Written
Plot: Sometimes the lines between good and evil are blurred.
Page Turner: Yes
Series Cont.? Yes
Recommend: Yes
Book Boyfriend: Pete
SUMMARY (65 words or less)
This author rocks and everything she writes is gold. When she said she was writing a new series, I was all in hip deep trying to get my hands on a copy. And she doesn’t disappoint. This story had me at page one. Dystopian is one of my favorite genres and I was excited to read one in New Adult rather than YA.
For a full review and yummy pic, see my blog post at:
http://mybookboyfriend.blogspot.com/2...
Cover: Nice
Rating: NC-17
Steaminess: HOT
Thumbs Up: 5
Overall: An awesome New Adult dystopian
Characters: Well Written
Plot: Sometimes the lines between good and evil are blurred.
Page Turner: Yes
Series Cont.? Yes
Recommend: Yes
Book Boyfriend: Pete
SUMMARY (65 words or less)
This author rocks and everything she writes is gold. When she said she was writing a new series, I was all in hip deep trying to get my hands on a copy. And she doesn’t disappoint. This story had me at page one. Dystopian is one of my favorite genres and I was excited to read one in New Adult rather than YA.
For a full review and yummy pic, see my blog post at:
http://mybookboyfriend.blogspot.com/2...
October 21, 2013
This review and many others can be found on my blog - Feed Your Fiction Addiction
4.5/5 stars.
Switch is an amazing New Adult dystopian read that will keep you reading into the wee hours of the night!
Charlotte has a secret - she can read minds. But when New World soldiers come marching into her life and her secret is revealed, her life is irrevocably changed. She is given a new name (Dinah) and a new identity - Weapon X - the New World leader's mind reader and third in command. Dinah is practical and doesn't mind her new role - much. Until one day when she is tasked with infiltrating the rebels and she finds herself getting closer and closer to the people she's supposed to betray.
The negatives:
Quick romance.
My only real complaint about this book is that the romance developed really quickly (bordering on insta-love - or, at the very least, insta-lust). If you are a regular reader of my reviews, you know that this can completely ruin a book for me. The fact that I still found myself loving Switch attests to how good it really is. I was able to forgive Pete and Dinah for their instant attraction to each other (and for another similar instant attraction between two other characters that I won't spoil) because I was so engrossed in everything else that was happening in the book! Still, I wish Stalder had given us a little more time to see the relationship and attraction build between Pete and Dinah before they jumped right into needing to see each other.
What I LOVED:
Dinah/Charlotte.
Dinah (or Charlotte, as she was originally known as) could have been a really annoying character. Honestly, I'm not sure why she wasn't - she's pretty snarky and cold and has shut off most of her emotions, especially at the beginning of the book. Because of this, I was worried that I wouldn't connect with her (as sometimes happens when I read a book with a cold protagonist). But, Stalder somehow manages to make Dinah relatable. Maybe it's because we see in the very first scene of the book how Dinah came to be so emotionless. Or maybe it's because, no matter how often Dinah tells herself that she feels nothing, we get to see snippets of those emotions she's trying to close off throughout the book, and we can't help but want to see more - to pull them out of her! I can't really say exactly why, but I found myself liking Dinah even when she was slightly unlikable, even when she didn't like herself. And then, once she starts up a relationship with Pete, we see her loosen up a bit and she becomes a more well-rounded character - well, then I liked her even more!
Blurred lines between right and wrong.
I absolutely LOVED that none of the characters in this book were really "good guys" or "bad guys". Obviously, there are characters whose point of view you agree with more, but there are no knights in shining armor and no villains twisting their little mustaches and tying women to railroad tracks. Morality in this book is much more ambiguous than that. The "evil" leaders of the New World can sometimes be friendly and even likable (especially Roman, second in command - the man who did something unthinkable and, you would think, unforgivable in the very first scene of the book!). But then, the leaders of the revolution might be no better than the New World leaders. While the main characters are definitely more sympathetic (and maybe more "good"?) than the leaders on either side of the equation, they are certainly no angels. Pete is a hothead who looks for a fight and Dinah herself has killed people for the government she sometimes hates. There is no black and white here - which makes it that much more interesting to read!
Chemistry.
While I said that I wished there was a bit more development between Pete and Dinah, that doesn't mean that they lacked chemistry! I actually LOVED them together - I just wanted to see more of the development at the beginning of their relationship. And, while the sex scenes thankfully didn't overtake the plot of the book, the scenes between Pete and Dinah - um, yeah, they are steamy (way too steamy for me to quote any of it here)!
Secondary characters.
Not only did I love Dinah and Pete, but I was equally enamored with all of the secondary characters in this book. Pete's friends and brothers were especially endearing in a tough-guy sort of way. The book is actually told from several points of view, which can sometimes be a real drawback (because I inevitably don't enjoy one of the points of view as much), but in this case, I was invested in every character (it also helped that the times the POV strayed away from Pete or Dinah were kept short).
The ending.
The ending of this book totally killed me because my Kindle said that I was only at 82%! I was all set for a little more resolution, but I do think that this book ended in the perfect spot to set us up for the next installment. I will definitely be reading book #2 in this series to find out what happens next!!
Switch was an incredibly enjoyable read that left me wanting MORE!! I recommend this book to all fans of New Adult books who appreciate dystopian novels!
***Disclosure: This book was provided to me by the author in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was given. All opinions are my own***
4.5/5 stars.
Switch is an amazing New Adult dystopian read that will keep you reading into the wee hours of the night!
Charlotte has a secret - she can read minds. But when New World soldiers come marching into her life and her secret is revealed, her life is irrevocably changed. She is given a new name (Dinah) and a new identity - Weapon X - the New World leader's mind reader and third in command. Dinah is practical and doesn't mind her new role - much. Until one day when she is tasked with infiltrating the rebels and she finds herself getting closer and closer to the people she's supposed to betray.
The negatives:
Quick romance.
My only real complaint about this book is that the romance developed really quickly (bordering on insta-love - or, at the very least, insta-lust). If you are a regular reader of my reviews, you know that this can completely ruin a book for me. The fact that I still found myself loving Switch attests to how good it really is. I was able to forgive Pete and Dinah for their instant attraction to each other (and for another similar instant attraction between two other characters that I won't spoil) because I was so engrossed in everything else that was happening in the book! Still, I wish Stalder had given us a little more time to see the relationship and attraction build between Pete and Dinah before they jumped right into needing to see each other.
What I LOVED:
Dinah/Charlotte.
Dinah (or Charlotte, as she was originally known as) could have been a really annoying character. Honestly, I'm not sure why she wasn't - she's pretty snarky and cold and has shut off most of her emotions, especially at the beginning of the book. Because of this, I was worried that I wouldn't connect with her (as sometimes happens when I read a book with a cold protagonist). But, Stalder somehow manages to make Dinah relatable. Maybe it's because we see in the very first scene of the book how Dinah came to be so emotionless. Or maybe it's because, no matter how often Dinah tells herself that she feels nothing, we get to see snippets of those emotions she's trying to close off throughout the book, and we can't help but want to see more - to pull them out of her! I can't really say exactly why, but I found myself liking Dinah even when she was slightly unlikable, even when she didn't like herself. And then, once she starts up a relationship with Pete, we see her loosen up a bit and she becomes a more well-rounded character - well, then I liked her even more!
Blurred lines between right and wrong.
I absolutely LOVED that none of the characters in this book were really "good guys" or "bad guys". Obviously, there are characters whose point of view you agree with more, but there are no knights in shining armor and no villains twisting their little mustaches and tying women to railroad tracks. Morality in this book is much more ambiguous than that. The "evil" leaders of the New World can sometimes be friendly and even likable (especially Roman, second in command - the man who did something unthinkable and, you would think, unforgivable in the very first scene of the book!). But then, the leaders of the revolution might be no better than the New World leaders. While the main characters are definitely more sympathetic (and maybe more "good"?) than the leaders on either side of the equation, they are certainly no angels. Pete is a hothead who looks for a fight and Dinah herself has killed people for the government she sometimes hates. There is no black and white here - which makes it that much more interesting to read!
Chemistry.
While I said that I wished there was a bit more development between Pete and Dinah, that doesn't mean that they lacked chemistry! I actually LOVED them together - I just wanted to see more of the development at the beginning of their relationship. And, while the sex scenes thankfully didn't overtake the plot of the book, the scenes between Pete and Dinah - um, yeah, they are steamy (way too steamy for me to quote any of it here)!
Secondary characters.
Not only did I love Dinah and Pete, but I was equally enamored with all of the secondary characters in this book. Pete's friends and brothers were especially endearing in a tough-guy sort of way. The book is actually told from several points of view, which can sometimes be a real drawback (because I inevitably don't enjoy one of the points of view as much), but in this case, I was invested in every character (it also helped that the times the POV strayed away from Pete or Dinah were kept short).
The ending.
The ending of this book totally killed me because my Kindle said that I was only at 82%! I was all set for a little more resolution, but I do think that this book ended in the perfect spot to set us up for the next installment. I will definitely be reading book #2 in this series to find out what happens next!!
Switch was an incredibly enjoyable read that left me wanting MORE!! I recommend this book to all fans of New Adult books who appreciate dystopian novels!
***Disclosure: This book was provided to me by the author in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was given. All opinions are my own***
August 16, 2013
4.5*s
review posted here...
http://bookpassionforlife.blogspot.co...
Wow, I loved this book and I devoured it in one sitting.
At 16, Charlotte Hatcher’s life is irrevocably changed starting with her mothers death right in front of her eyes. When her mind reading talent is exposed she is then faced with the option of joining the New World Order as ‘weapon X’ or die, she obviously takes the living option and becomes the greatest weapon in a tyrannical leaders arsenal as he all but destroys the world, decimating humanity with nuclear war & terrorist attacks. 5 years later, Charlotte, now known as Dinah is still doing her thing, no one knows who she is but all fear ‘weapon X’, but as more & more people come to her with ‘walls’ in their minds, built to block her out, her job is becoming increasingly difficult. After a revealing run in with a rebel leaves her in precarious situation her own walls start to crumble – why does he bring out this response in her? Why is he the only one to see past the ‘weapon X’ persona? – leading to her leader sending her undercover to expose the rebellion, find out where they are, what they’re up to and to take them out once and for all. Dinah doesn’t count on falling in love, she also doesn’t know that a lot of things have been kept from her…. Until now.
So yeah I loved this book, anyone who knows me, knows I don’t usually enjoy dystopian topics as much as my usual reads but this is definitely one of the reasons why I still continue to read them, waiting for a gem like this. I loved everything about it, the characters were great, I connected with all of them especially Charlotte/Dinah – how could you not empathise with her when the first time we meet her she is forced to watch her mother be shot in the head and is forced to make a decision to help the people who did it whilst kneeling in her blood? Then she leads the life of a recluse, never exposed, only a handful of people knowing her true identity and the only friend she has is the one who killed her mother. It was great to see her blossom at the hands of the enemy & their forbidden love, I enjoyed reading of her going through self-doubt about their relationship, questioning everything, analysing everything, the way a teenager would do if not in her situation. It made me smile to see her gain some love, some happiness and experience at living instead of being locked away, hidden from the world.
I absolutely loved the plot, with the New World Order taking over the world, it is really plausible that this could happen and I liked the way it was brought into the story. I liked that there was rebellion and that for as long as the ‘NOW’ has existed so has the resistance, albeit more secretive and I loved the way it tied in with our characters. The plotting and the secrecy where excellent ways of keeping my interest and there is a huge secret that had me turning page after page, waiting for it to come out – I loved it! I really liked the romance between the two lead characters, forbidden romance is always the best with its stolen moments and longing for the ‘next time’, I was even invested in the tentative one between a couple of others, I like how in all of the dreariness that the world now is, that love can shine through and not only show some hope but become a catalyst for change. This is an amazing start to a new series that definitely hits the spot, my review will certainly not do this book justice as there are lots of plot points for you to discover, filled with secrets, lies, twists & turns, that I just ate up and I will be waiting desperately for book two – especially following that cliffhanger!
review posted here...
http://bookpassionforlife.blogspot.co...
Wow, I loved this book and I devoured it in one sitting.
At 16, Charlotte Hatcher’s life is irrevocably changed starting with her mothers death right in front of her eyes. When her mind reading talent is exposed she is then faced with the option of joining the New World Order as ‘weapon X’ or die, she obviously takes the living option and becomes the greatest weapon in a tyrannical leaders arsenal as he all but destroys the world, decimating humanity with nuclear war & terrorist attacks. 5 years later, Charlotte, now known as Dinah is still doing her thing, no one knows who she is but all fear ‘weapon X’, but as more & more people come to her with ‘walls’ in their minds, built to block her out, her job is becoming increasingly difficult. After a revealing run in with a rebel leaves her in precarious situation her own walls start to crumble – why does he bring out this response in her? Why is he the only one to see past the ‘weapon X’ persona? – leading to her leader sending her undercover to expose the rebellion, find out where they are, what they’re up to and to take them out once and for all. Dinah doesn’t count on falling in love, she also doesn’t know that a lot of things have been kept from her…. Until now.
So yeah I loved this book, anyone who knows me, knows I don’t usually enjoy dystopian topics as much as my usual reads but this is definitely one of the reasons why I still continue to read them, waiting for a gem like this. I loved everything about it, the characters were great, I connected with all of them especially Charlotte/Dinah – how could you not empathise with her when the first time we meet her she is forced to watch her mother be shot in the head and is forced to make a decision to help the people who did it whilst kneeling in her blood? Then she leads the life of a recluse, never exposed, only a handful of people knowing her true identity and the only friend she has is the one who killed her mother. It was great to see her blossom at the hands of the enemy & their forbidden love, I enjoyed reading of her going through self-doubt about their relationship, questioning everything, analysing everything, the way a teenager would do if not in her situation. It made me smile to see her gain some love, some happiness and experience at living instead of being locked away, hidden from the world.
I absolutely loved the plot, with the New World Order taking over the world, it is really plausible that this could happen and I liked the way it was brought into the story. I liked that there was rebellion and that for as long as the ‘NOW’ has existed so has the resistance, albeit more secretive and I loved the way it tied in with our characters. The plotting and the secrecy where excellent ways of keeping my interest and there is a huge secret that had me turning page after page, waiting for it to come out – I loved it! I really liked the romance between the two lead characters, forbidden romance is always the best with its stolen moments and longing for the ‘next time’, I was even invested in the tentative one between a couple of others, I like how in all of the dreariness that the world now is, that love can shine through and not only show some hope but become a catalyst for change. This is an amazing start to a new series that definitely hits the spot, my review will certainly not do this book justice as there are lots of plot points for you to discover, filled with secrets, lies, twists & turns, that I just ate up and I will be waiting desperately for book two – especially following that cliffhanger!
October 13, 2013
If you're a fan of Dystopian Fantasy, filled with deceit, loss, betrayal and forbidden romance, not to mention enough intrigue to make your head spin, Switch by Janelle Stalder is a must read! The lines of right and wrong are blurred, as two-thirds of the world is destroyed and the survivors are caught between opposing factions, the ruling leader and the rebels who want freedom from the thumb of a dictator who uses a traumatized young girl as one of the most powerful and terrifying weapons in his arsenal.
At sixteen, Charlotte’s life is forever changed, as her mind reading ability is discovered and she becomes the mysterious Weapon X, hidden under a mask of darkness and secrecy, feared like “something that goes bump in the night.” After five years, her role changes as she is required to infiltrate the rebel group to discover who they leaders are and what they are planning in an effort to bring them down. She did not count on Pete, second in command for the rebels and her loyalties are tested as her heart wars with her head and she begins to question if she is on the right side.
Janelle Stalder fills her plot with color, detail and life as she creates a world full of chaos, characters who are completely human and sometimes a little mysterious. I found myself wondering how I would act/react if I were in any of the characters’ shoes. I was definitely in the moment with each page, watching as each detail unfolded, unsure of the future and shocked at the revelations that unfolded.
The romance has steam, is hot, well done and adds to the chaotic turmoil of this world and the lives of the main characters. Will it be used against them? Is the real name of the game “power” and “control” underneath the banner of “freedom” and “rebellion?” Who is being fooled into thinking they are on the side of right? The stage is set, the characters are in position...the tension runs high!
I received this review copy as part of the Goodreads R4R program and look forward to the next book in the New World Series.
Series: New World - Book 1
Publication Date: August 25, 2013
Publisher: Janelle Stalder
ISBN: 1491043032
Page Count: 355
Genre: New Adult Fantasy/Romance
Available From: Amazon / Barnes & Noble
For more reviews check out Tome Tender's Book Blog or find us on Facebook.
At sixteen, Charlotte’s life is forever changed, as her mind reading ability is discovered and she becomes the mysterious Weapon X, hidden under a mask of darkness and secrecy, feared like “something that goes bump in the night.” After five years, her role changes as she is required to infiltrate the rebel group to discover who they leaders are and what they are planning in an effort to bring them down. She did not count on Pete, second in command for the rebels and her loyalties are tested as her heart wars with her head and she begins to question if she is on the right side.
Janelle Stalder fills her plot with color, detail and life as she creates a world full of chaos, characters who are completely human and sometimes a little mysterious. I found myself wondering how I would act/react if I were in any of the characters’ shoes. I was definitely in the moment with each page, watching as each detail unfolded, unsure of the future and shocked at the revelations that unfolded.
The romance has steam, is hot, well done and adds to the chaotic turmoil of this world and the lives of the main characters. Will it be used against them? Is the real name of the game “power” and “control” underneath the banner of “freedom” and “rebellion?” Who is being fooled into thinking they are on the side of right? The stage is set, the characters are in position...the tension runs high!
I received this review copy as part of the Goodreads R4R program and look forward to the next book in the New World Series.
Series: New World - Book 1
Publication Date: August 25, 2013
Publisher: Janelle Stalder
ISBN: 1491043032
Page Count: 355
Genre: New Adult Fantasy/Romance
Available From: Amazon / Barnes & Noble
For more reviews check out Tome Tender's Book Blog or find us on Facebook.
October 8, 2013
Addicting- that is the word I would use for this book. I received an early copy to read and provide an honest review. I had intended to take notes as I went so that I could provide details. That went out the window shortly after I started reading. I was so consumed by this book; I read it in one sitting and am already dying for more.
Two thirds of the world’s population has been wiped out due to a nuclear war and the people left behind are just trying to survive. The New World army is in charge and making sure everyone else knows their place. When we first meet Charlotte, her home is being raided by soldiers as they hold her and her mother at gun point. The soldiers believe her father is part of the rebellion and want to know his whereabouts. It is then we learn that Charlotte can read other people’s minds, and discovered that her mother would rather they die than give up her father’s location. Charlotte accidently lets her talent show and she is whisked away to join the army as Dinah/ Weapon X, reading the enemies minds for information on the rebellion. When she is asked to infiltrate the lower class in order to gain better access, she soon falls for Pete McKay, the second in command for the Rebellion force. Oh yeah, Dinah’s closest friend is Roman, the guy who shot her mother in front of her. He meets and is captivated by Bridgette, McKay’s best friend who just happens to be Dinah’s long lost sister. Yeah that won’t be awkward at all…
You get completely entranced in this world and even start caring for the secondary characters, such as Pete’s friends. You could see them at the pub, having a beer and hanging out. The conversations that take place between the lovers feel real. You don’t get the flowery “how do I love thee, let me count the ways”. In fact, the girls are snarky and keep the men in check, while the men love their strong personalities and tease them to bring out their feisty side.
Like I said before, I absolutely loved it, and am already looking into her other novels to tide me over until the sequel comes out
Two thirds of the world’s population has been wiped out due to a nuclear war and the people left behind are just trying to survive. The New World army is in charge and making sure everyone else knows their place. When we first meet Charlotte, her home is being raided by soldiers as they hold her and her mother at gun point. The soldiers believe her father is part of the rebellion and want to know his whereabouts. It is then we learn that Charlotte can read other people’s minds, and discovered that her mother would rather they die than give up her father’s location. Charlotte accidently lets her talent show and she is whisked away to join the army as Dinah/ Weapon X, reading the enemies minds for information on the rebellion. When she is asked to infiltrate the lower class in order to gain better access, she soon falls for Pete McKay, the second in command for the Rebellion force. Oh yeah, Dinah’s closest friend is Roman, the guy who shot her mother in front of her. He meets and is captivated by Bridgette, McKay’s best friend who just happens to be Dinah’s long lost sister. Yeah that won’t be awkward at all…
You get completely entranced in this world and even start caring for the secondary characters, such as Pete’s friends. You could see them at the pub, having a beer and hanging out. The conversations that take place between the lovers feel real. You don’t get the flowery “how do I love thee, let me count the ways”. In fact, the girls are snarky and keep the men in check, while the men love their strong personalities and tease them to bring out their feisty side.
Like I said before, I absolutely loved it, and am already looking into her other novels to tide me over until the sequel comes out
August 7, 2013
AHHHH!!!! I NEED MORE!!!! WOW!!! This is one freaking awesome story!!!
I couldn’t put it down and neither will anyone that likes to read. It has it all Romance, Adventure, Action, and Suspense.
Loved the main characters, heck I enjoyed all the characters even the crazy ones! There are several in the story but the way they are introduced makes you remember them and very easy to keep track of.
Loved the friendly scenes (wink, wink) I loved Charlotte, but she’s got to move over, I’m replacing her as the main female character! I’m going to be the kick ass, gorgeous, petite female that has several friendly scenes with the leading man Pete!!! Well I’m not very petite but what the heck it’s my illusion!
The pace of the book, how can I put this…. she had it booking it! There was never a place where it dragged. Something was always happening.
I know I’m all over the place with this review. I just can’t articulate enough how excited I am about this story. I know I’m not doing it justice with this review but let me just say this…. it’s been a while since I’ve read something this awesome!!
I just found a great author that I will be following and looking forward to the next book “Masked” in the series!!!!
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion and review.
Title: Switch
Author: Janelle Stalder
Format: ebook 259 pgs
Genre: NA Dystopian Romance
Cover: 4 stars
Characters: Charlotte & Pete
Rating: 5 stars
Series: Yes!!!
Violence: Yes
Language: Yes (few)
Sex Scenes: Yes
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
I couldn’t put it down and neither will anyone that likes to read. It has it all Romance, Adventure, Action, and Suspense.
Loved the main characters, heck I enjoyed all the characters even the crazy ones! There are several in the story but the way they are introduced makes you remember them and very easy to keep track of.
Loved the friendly scenes (wink, wink) I loved Charlotte, but she’s got to move over, I’m replacing her as the main female character! I’m going to be the kick ass, gorgeous, petite female that has several friendly scenes with the leading man Pete!!! Well I’m not very petite but what the heck it’s my illusion!
The pace of the book, how can I put this…. she had it booking it! There was never a place where it dragged. Something was always happening.
I know I’m all over the place with this review. I just can’t articulate enough how excited I am about this story. I know I’m not doing it justice with this review but let me just say this…. it’s been a while since I’ve read something this awesome!!
I just found a great author that I will be following and looking forward to the next book “Masked” in the series!!!!
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion and review.
Title: Switch
Author: Janelle Stalder
Format: ebook 259 pgs
Genre: NA Dystopian Romance
Cover: 4 stars
Characters: Charlotte & Pete
Rating: 5 stars
Series: Yes!!!
Violence: Yes
Language: Yes (few)
Sex Scenes: Yes
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
July 23, 2013
Amazing ;)
May 2, 2015
This book could have been much better.
November 6, 2013
Switch
Janelle Stalder
4.5/5.0
All’s fair in love and war.
Two
thirds of the world's population has been wiped out, devastated by the
worst war earth has ever seen. Still standing amongst the ruins is a
mind reader who finds herself on the wrong side of the war. Everyone
does what they must to survive. When the rebels bent on bringing down
the New World leader start to rise up, it is her job to make sure they
stay down where they belong. That is, until one rebel sneaks past her
defences and into her heart. Love will blossom from the ashes, but will
it be enough to save them, or will it mean the end of them both?
*This book is for mature audiences due to sexual situations, violence and strong language. NA
First off:
THANK YOU Janelle Stalder for FINALLY writing a (true) NA book the way I've always wanted to see one written.
I generally avoid NA books because the vast majority of NA books out there right now are contemporary romances. I'm not a huge fan of romance novels personally. I have nothing against them really, I just need something with a bit more... ... action? It's definitely not that I'm anti-romance. I LOVE a good romance/love interest. However, I really need the book to be about something else.
I've always wanted to find a NA book that was truly dystopian/post-apocalyptic/etc. I want all the dirt and grit we get in YA Dystopian, but with an adult lead, facing adult issues, and maybe, ya know, getting into a few *clears throat* adult situations.
Switch does just that. It's a dystopian book, full of all the gritty, OMG moments we know and love from YA, but with a very steamy adult twist.
And Pete McCay...
There is just something about him that is... so... freaking... sexy. He's got the sexy bad boy with a soft side thing down. Also... in my head... he's totally got an Irish accent, so all I saw was The Boondock Saints.
Particularly the shower scene from Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day. *drool*
Charlotte/Dinah (read the book and you'll understand that phrasing) was also amazing. She's a serious bad-ass, and I love her and Pete together.
I seriously LOVED this book and I HIGHLY recommend it. HIGHLY! My only real concern was the end where it was hinted that book two might be a book about a different couple. I'm seriously in love with Pete and Charlotte/Dinah. I want to see what happens with the other couple too, but not at the loss of being all over THIS relationship. However, whatever Janelle Stalder writes, I will most definitely be reading. I can't wait to see how this whole world plays out.
August 10, 2013
I got a copy in exchange for an honest review
I love Janelle her Eden series and when I heard she was writing a dystopia book I was realy curious and excited, but for me Switch didn't live up to my expectations. I did like reading it for the most part, Janelle her writing style is really good and overall the pace of the book was good.
The story starts off with a prologue, which was really interesting and captured my attention. I liked how the story began and it's written in multiple point of views, which I love. I do think the multiple point of views could've been used better in this book. In the Eden series the multiple point of views show us 2 sides of a war and I was able to like both of them and want both sides to win. In Switch we see sort of two sides of a war and honestly I didn't really connect or care about either side. There isn't enough backstory and planning and everything else that makes a good dystopia book for me. Also parts of this book read more like an NA contemporary romance book, which isn't bad, but I expected a dystopia book and I felt like the focus is more on the romance than on world building.
While I really liked Dinah when she was first introduced I had the feeling she changed a bit too quickly. Also I would've liked getting to know more about her place and role in the New World army and her thoughts about it. Bridgette is another character I liked, but sadly there aren't that much chapters from her point of view, the focus wasn't on her story, although I do have the feeling she will be playing a bigger part in the next book. Pete was a character I couldn't really connect with, I didn't feel like I really knew him and his ideas and ideals. I also didn't understand why Dinah was so different for him from other girls. We don't learn a lot about the side characters, this book mostly focusses on Dinah and Pete and I didn't feel like I really got to know the characters. I kept confusing some of the side characters with each other.
There is a lot of romance in this book. It felt a bit like a contemporary romance book at times and maybe I would've liked this book better if it was. While I liked Dinah, as soon as she met Pete she seemed to change a lot. I couldn't really feel their romance and while I understood they felt something for each other, I just didn't feel it. I also thought their relationship developed a bit too fast, I had the feeling they didn't really spend time to get to know each other. Maybe that's logical considering the world in which they live, but it still felt a bit off to me. Also they are supposed to be enemies, but as soon as they meet each other they seem to forget this. If this would've happened gradually I would understand, but it seemed to happen immediately when they first met. There is another romances at which is hinted in this book, but there isn't much development for that in this book, again I have the feeling that romance wil be more important in the next book. The twist at the end makes me curious about what will happen in the next book and made me realize why this title is choosen.
I love world building in books and while some genres usually have more or less world building, dystopia is one of those genres in which I expect a lot of world building. And I am sad to say that Switch lacked world building. Even most of my basic questions about how the world is now and why the world is that way weren't explained. This is this dystopia world, but it doesn't come alive. Apparently there is a evil guy who reigns now, but what are his motivations and what is he working on now, what are the rebels doing and why, what is happening in the other countries, why aren't these countries gettin involved with europe, are there rebels in the other countries and why is London called New Berlin? There are so many unanshwered questions and I was really disapointed there was so little world building, this book started out good with some world building, but that piece at the beginning is almost the only piece we get. I just couldn't understand how this world was created and why two thirds of the people were dead. I did like the fact that Switch takes place in Europa, as most dystopia books takes place in America.
To conclude: I enjoyed this book, but there where also some parts I didn't like. The writing style was good and I liked the overal story and pace. I did feel like there was too much focus on the romance and too less on the world building. I couldn't really feel the romance and while I liked some characters I felt like I didn't get to really know most of them. There is way too less world building in this book, this dystopia world didn't come alive and at the end I have almost as much questions as I had at the beginning. Interesting story, but it didn't really work for me. I expect a lot of world building in dystopia book and this book doesn't have that.
I love Janelle her Eden series and when I heard she was writing a dystopia book I was realy curious and excited, but for me Switch didn't live up to my expectations. I did like reading it for the most part, Janelle her writing style is really good and overall the pace of the book was good.
The story starts off with a prologue, which was really interesting and captured my attention. I liked how the story began and it's written in multiple point of views, which I love. I do think the multiple point of views could've been used better in this book. In the Eden series the multiple point of views show us 2 sides of a war and I was able to like both of them and want both sides to win. In Switch we see sort of two sides of a war and honestly I didn't really connect or care about either side. There isn't enough backstory and planning and everything else that makes a good dystopia book for me. Also parts of this book read more like an NA contemporary romance book, which isn't bad, but I expected a dystopia book and I felt like the focus is more on the romance than on world building.
While I really liked Dinah when she was first introduced I had the feeling she changed a bit too quickly. Also I would've liked getting to know more about her place and role in the New World army and her thoughts about it. Bridgette is another character I liked, but sadly there aren't that much chapters from her point of view, the focus wasn't on her story, although I do have the feeling she will be playing a bigger part in the next book. Pete was a character I couldn't really connect with, I didn't feel like I really knew him and his ideas and ideals. I also didn't understand why Dinah was so different for him from other girls. We don't learn a lot about the side characters, this book mostly focusses on Dinah and Pete and I didn't feel like I really got to know the characters. I kept confusing some of the side characters with each other.
There is a lot of romance in this book. It felt a bit like a contemporary romance book at times and maybe I would've liked this book better if it was. While I liked Dinah, as soon as she met Pete she seemed to change a lot. I couldn't really feel their romance and while I understood they felt something for each other, I just didn't feel it. I also thought their relationship developed a bit too fast, I had the feeling they didn't really spend time to get to know each other. Maybe that's logical considering the world in which they live, but it still felt a bit off to me. Also they are supposed to be enemies, but as soon as they meet each other they seem to forget this. If this would've happened gradually I would understand, but it seemed to happen immediately when they first met. There is another romances at which is hinted in this book, but there isn't much development for that in this book, again I have the feeling that romance wil be more important in the next book. The twist at the end makes me curious about what will happen in the next book and made me realize why this title is choosen.
I love world building in books and while some genres usually have more or less world building, dystopia is one of those genres in which I expect a lot of world building. And I am sad to say that Switch lacked world building. Even most of my basic questions about how the world is now and why the world is that way weren't explained. This is this dystopia world, but it doesn't come alive. Apparently there is a evil guy who reigns now, but what are his motivations and what is he working on now, what are the rebels doing and why, what is happening in the other countries, why aren't these countries gettin involved with europe, are there rebels in the other countries and why is London called New Berlin? There are so many unanshwered questions and I was really disapointed there was so little world building, this book started out good with some world building, but that piece at the beginning is almost the only piece we get. I just couldn't understand how this world was created and why two thirds of the people were dead. I did like the fact that Switch takes place in Europa, as most dystopia books takes place in America.
To conclude: I enjoyed this book, but there where also some parts I didn't like. The writing style was good and I liked the overal story and pace. I did feel like there was too much focus on the romance and too less on the world building. I couldn't really feel the romance and while I liked some characters I felt like I didn't get to really know most of them. There is way too less world building in this book, this dystopia world didn't come alive and at the end I have almost as much questions as I had at the beginning. Interesting story, but it didn't really work for me. I expect a lot of world building in dystopia book and this book doesn't have that.
November 6, 2013
Oooh. Oooh ooooh ooooh!!
Yes I know that all (of the three of you) who have ever read any of my other reviews are wondering who kidnapped me and replaced me with a 13 year old version of myself, but I'm perfectly okay with that. This book just brought that out, and very easily I might add.
General Impressions and Thoughts
As you probably already know, it is set in a dystopian future with a war between establishment and rebels as per usual in the genre, and in this one we have a girl in Charlotte with a gift torn between many different ideals, people, and responsibilities, while struggling to grow up and introduced to what it means to be a woman - feelings and all. Stalder does a really good job of setting Charlotte up as someone who has been both hardened and jaded by the turns her life has taken and the betrayals she has experienced, and who suddenly is thrust into an entirely new reality by everyone's favorite disease; love at first sight. Joys and pleasures abound. And so do complications, and they are all incredibly tasty!
I can agree with others that this process, this romance, was covered and confirmed so quickly that it sort of took away from the potential heat and begged for more development. But once you get that little irritation out of the way and concentrate on how much is actually happening in the story, it becomes easy to get caught up in. As the story develops, and you consider how much the characters don't know that you do, and what could happen as reality sets in for them, there's just this excitement that wells up. I actually found myself grinning from ear to ear turning pages, and it's been a while since that kind of almost "romantic paperback" tingly shaking thing has happened to me, so it was quite surprising and enjoyable to feel happening.
Before I make this seem like something only a romantic pushover of a woman could enjoy, there is more than enough action, intrigue, and "baddassery" in the plot for anyone, including guys, to enjoy. As I implied earlier, Charlotte is no pushover by nature. She is an interrogator, an enforcer, and an assassin even, for what can only be described as a madman. A scheming, unpredictable, paranoid, and brutal war chief of sorts representing that enemy that profits by the oppression and loss of the commoner. This is a horrible burden to suddenly be exposed to by the true emotion that Charlotte re-discovers. As is knowing that she and her cohorts destroy lives. She is a mysterious and frightening spectre that brings terror by her very mention, to say nothing of her appearance. And there is violence here that is described well without being gross. Executions, beatings, whatever you need.
What's Awesome
- Lead character complexity. All with something to gain and lose. All with duality and conflicts.
- Supporting characters are well fleshed out and have lives and personalities of their own. They're not just "filler" or "background", each instead adding something unique that enriches.
- Well described and interesting plot with intrigue, betrayal, suspense, and HEAT
- Rich colorful environment and world that is easy to see and fall into
- Aforementioned heat is definitely HAWT, but not so overbearing as to be a character of its own or to change the story into a straight soft-core novel. This is what Laurel K. Hamilton should have been able to read in time to rethink going off on readers with The Ardeur. Anita Blake fans know what I'm getting at here, and likely down-voted this review at the mere mention.
What Might Give Pause
If you are really in need of a completely original, and highly unusual plot line or something really innovative, this isn't for you. Once again, the backdrop is very familiar, the daily lives of the characters are about what one would expect. It's the way it is all put together that works, and the type of reader one is and the ease with which one can lose themselves in a created environment will directly determine how much one will be fulfilled or left unfulfilled with the story given its sort of plot familiarity. Same as most books I suppose; the devil is in the details.
What Happens If It Works For You
Well then, you find yourself as I did. With instant hunger pangs and a palpable whiny "but I want MOAR" feeling when suddenly presented with the end of the book. Just what a great engaging story is supposed to do to a reader.
Conclusion
It is that last part that makes this a wholehearted recommendation from me for this book. I read a whole lot, and have for a long time, so when a book makes me literally whine at the end when I realize I can't immediately buy the next one, I am giving it my highest praise. Thumbs up! Both of them!
Yes I know that all (of the three of you) who have ever read any of my other reviews are wondering who kidnapped me and replaced me with a 13 year old version of myself, but I'm perfectly okay with that. This book just brought that out, and very easily I might add.
General Impressions and Thoughts
As you probably already know, it is set in a dystopian future with a war between establishment and rebels as per usual in the genre, and in this one we have a girl in Charlotte with a gift torn between many different ideals, people, and responsibilities, while struggling to grow up and introduced to what it means to be a woman - feelings and all. Stalder does a really good job of setting Charlotte up as someone who has been both hardened and jaded by the turns her life has taken and the betrayals she has experienced, and who suddenly is thrust into an entirely new reality by everyone's favorite disease; love at first sight. Joys and pleasures abound. And so do complications, and they are all incredibly tasty!
I can agree with others that this process, this romance, was covered and confirmed so quickly that it sort of took away from the potential heat and begged for more development. But once you get that little irritation out of the way and concentrate on how much is actually happening in the story, it becomes easy to get caught up in. As the story develops, and you consider how much the characters don't know that you do, and what could happen as reality sets in for them, there's just this excitement that wells up. I actually found myself grinning from ear to ear turning pages, and it's been a while since that kind of almost "romantic paperback" tingly shaking thing has happened to me, so it was quite surprising and enjoyable to feel happening.
Before I make this seem like something only a romantic pushover of a woman could enjoy, there is more than enough action, intrigue, and "baddassery" in the plot for anyone, including guys, to enjoy. As I implied earlier, Charlotte is no pushover by nature. She is an interrogator, an enforcer, and an assassin even, for what can only be described as a madman. A scheming, unpredictable, paranoid, and brutal war chief of sorts representing that enemy that profits by the oppression and loss of the commoner. This is a horrible burden to suddenly be exposed to by the true emotion that Charlotte re-discovers. As is knowing that she and her cohorts destroy lives. She is a mysterious and frightening spectre that brings terror by her very mention, to say nothing of her appearance. And there is violence here that is described well without being gross. Executions, beatings, whatever you need.
What's Awesome
- Lead character complexity. All with something to gain and lose. All with duality and conflicts.
- Supporting characters are well fleshed out and have lives and personalities of their own. They're not just "filler" or "background", each instead adding something unique that enriches.
- Well described and interesting plot with intrigue, betrayal, suspense, and HEAT
- Rich colorful environment and world that is easy to see and fall into
- Aforementioned heat is definitely HAWT, but not so overbearing as to be a character of its own or to change the story into a straight soft-core novel. This is what Laurel K. Hamilton should have been able to read in time to rethink going off on readers with The Ardeur. Anita Blake fans know what I'm getting at here, and likely down-voted this review at the mere mention.
What Might Give Pause
If you are really in need of a completely original, and highly unusual plot line or something really innovative, this isn't for you. Once again, the backdrop is very familiar, the daily lives of the characters are about what one would expect. It's the way it is all put together that works, and the type of reader one is and the ease with which one can lose themselves in a created environment will directly determine how much one will be fulfilled or left unfulfilled with the story given its sort of plot familiarity. Same as most books I suppose; the devil is in the details.
What Happens If It Works For You
Well then, you find yourself as I did. With instant hunger pangs and a palpable whiny "but I want MOAR" feeling when suddenly presented with the end of the book. Just what a great engaging story is supposed to do to a reader.
Conclusion
It is that last part that makes this a wholehearted recommendation from me for this book. I read a whole lot, and have for a long time, so when a book makes me literally whine at the end when I realize I can't immediately buy the next one, I am giving it my highest praise. Thumbs up! Both of them!
March 28, 2014
What?! How can you end this story like that?! I literally kept smacking my kindle in a frantic motion trying to get the next page to appear. I was astounded, which doesn't happen an awful lot.
Firstly, an NA dystopian. Can I get a hell yeah? Yes please! It was different, we like different, but more importantly, it delivered.
Charlotte/Dinah was a very diverse character (although she had to be really), but still managed to amaze and surprise me. She made decisions to save her life, but still manages to keep her emotional stability. Nothing irks me more than a main who makes controversial decisions and falls to pieces and has to get everyone else to tell her the what, why and how. Charlotte knows right from wrong, but like all our mains, manages to survive by going against the status quo and acting her own way.
Charlotte/Dinah aside, the others characters were very interesting too. They all had some form of depth, so I was hooked on all the interwoven stories lines - not just Charlotte's/Dinah's. Pete was maybe slightly A typical and cliche; especially in the fact he is a bad boy womaniser, but really has a heart of gold, loves his family dearly and will change for that one special girl. But that being said, I still loved him. :) It must have been the tattoos... But Roman. *deary sigh*, I don't know why, but I seem to have developed a fondness for you. Maybe it was the brotherly bond you developed with Charlotte; it was definitely endearing to me. :)
But I digress, the plot was the winning point for me. You have the issues and problems concerned with the power being turned off, and then war criminals taking power by any means; with rebels fighting against them. It all makes for a very gloomy, morose atmosphere, but I was consumed with obsession from the first word. It was such a strikingly different concept for the dystopian genre - especially through the fact we had points of view from both the rebels and army, and the forbidden romances.
I feel somewhat wrong for endearingly sighing with admiration as cupid struck with his bow and arrow; so I tended to forget what was going with the rest of the New World Order. It was probably my main gripe with the book - it focused the romances, family storyline and rebel vs. army issues; it never really mentioned the rest of the world. Is anyone trying to turn the power back on? Is anyone planning on stopping the order? I just felt like the Rebels were just acting in an almost childlike manner to merely upset Ludwig. I didn't really see them as much of a threat. (Although, maybe my love for both Pete and Roman shrouded my vision...)
But, part of me doesn't really care why and just wants some more Roman action, and part of me (the ever questioning part) wants to know where the story will lead. Either way, looks like I will be reading the next installment. In fact, it is already on my Kindle waiting for me...
Roman, I know you have a heart!<3
I received a free copy from the author in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my review of the book, and any thoughts and opinions expressed are that of my own.
Firstly, an NA dystopian. Can I get a hell yeah? Yes please! It was different, we like different, but more importantly, it delivered.
Charlotte/Dinah was a very diverse character (although she had to be really), but still managed to amaze and surprise me. She made decisions to save her life, but still manages to keep her emotional stability. Nothing irks me more than a main who makes controversial decisions and falls to pieces and has to get everyone else to tell her the what, why and how. Charlotte knows right from wrong, but like all our mains, manages to survive by going against the status quo and acting her own way.
Charlotte/Dinah aside, the others characters were very interesting too. They all had some form of depth, so I was hooked on all the interwoven stories lines - not just Charlotte's/Dinah's. Pete was maybe slightly A typical and cliche; especially in the fact he is a bad boy womaniser, but really has a heart of gold, loves his family dearly and will change for that one special girl. But that being said, I still loved him. :) It must have been the tattoos... But Roman. *deary sigh*, I don't know why, but I seem to have developed a fondness for you. Maybe it was the brotherly bond you developed with Charlotte; it was definitely endearing to me. :)
But I digress, the plot was the winning point for me. You have the issues and problems concerned with the power being turned off, and then war criminals taking power by any means; with rebels fighting against them. It all makes for a very gloomy, morose atmosphere, but I was consumed with obsession from the first word. It was such a strikingly different concept for the dystopian genre - especially through the fact we had points of view from both the rebels and army, and the forbidden romances.
I feel somewhat wrong for endearingly sighing with admiration as cupid struck with his bow and arrow; so I tended to forget what was going with the rest of the New World Order. It was probably my main gripe with the book - it focused the romances, family storyline and rebel vs. army issues; it never really mentioned the rest of the world. Is anyone trying to turn the power back on? Is anyone planning on stopping the order? I just felt like the Rebels were just acting in an almost childlike manner to merely upset Ludwig. I didn't really see them as much of a threat. (Although, maybe my love for both Pete and Roman shrouded my vision...)
But, part of me doesn't really care why and just wants some more Roman action, and part of me (the ever questioning part) wants to know where the story will lead. Either way, looks like I will be reading the next installment. In fact, it is already on my Kindle waiting for me...
Roman, I know you have a heart!<3
I received a free copy from the author in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my review of the book, and any thoughts and opinions expressed are that of my own.
September 7, 2013
This is a hard book to write about. I felt very “meh” about it the whole time I was reading it and I continue to feel fairly ambivalent about it now that I’ve finished. I read it while I was camping, and I might have given up on it if I had been reading it at home while surrounded by all of my other books. I am glad that I stuck it out though; there were some really excellent elements to Switch, but I’m afraid the negative slightly outweighs the positive on this one.
Switch starts off with Charlotte, age sixteen, as she witnesses her mother killed at the hands of the New World Army, a group that’s has taken power over Europe after a massive nuclear fallout killed a vast majority of the population. Her world significantly shaken, Charlotte accidentally let’s her secret - that she can read minds - slip long enough for a commander to figure it out. He whisks her off to the New World leader, Ludwig, and spends the next five years working as his mind reader, known as the much-feared Weapon X. When a rebel movement starts to gain momentum and Charlotte is sent among them to spy, she must decide if her loyalties lie with Ludwig and the New World Army, or with the handsome and charming, Pete McKay, a rebel who can’t seem to get Charlotte out of his head - or his bed.
I’ll get to the bad first. To say there was a lot going on in this book would be an understatement. There were multiple plots and a plethora of POVs at play. I think it would have been better to focus on Charlotte and Pete and leave the other POVs to the next book; but then I’ve always been a fan of the less-is-more approach to POVs. The first half of the book is pretty straight-forward dystopian, but the second half felt like a romance novel with a smidgen of dystopian thrown in as an afterthought. In the end, there was resolution for the romance, but no real resolution or satisfying stopping point for the rest of the plot. With so much going on plot-wise, the book really lacked in world-building. The characters kept mentioning how terrible Ludwig and his New World Army are, but there wasn’t much evidence of it aside from the very beginning of the book when Charlotte’s mother is killed.
Now, I hope I haven’t completely dissuaded you from giving this book a chance. Despite all the flaws, it was a real page-turner. It had some great action, the chemistry between Charlotte and Pete was fantastic, and there were a couple pretty hot scenes thrown in. What can I say? I’m a sucker for a boy with tattoos.
Read more reviews at www.wrenreads.com!
Switch starts off with Charlotte, age sixteen, as she witnesses her mother killed at the hands of the New World Army, a group that’s has taken power over Europe after a massive nuclear fallout killed a vast majority of the population. Her world significantly shaken, Charlotte accidentally let’s her secret - that she can read minds - slip long enough for a commander to figure it out. He whisks her off to the New World leader, Ludwig, and spends the next five years working as his mind reader, known as the much-feared Weapon X. When a rebel movement starts to gain momentum and Charlotte is sent among them to spy, she must decide if her loyalties lie with Ludwig and the New World Army, or with the handsome and charming, Pete McKay, a rebel who can’t seem to get Charlotte out of his head - or his bed.
I’ll get to the bad first. To say there was a lot going on in this book would be an understatement. There were multiple plots and a plethora of POVs at play. I think it would have been better to focus on Charlotte and Pete and leave the other POVs to the next book; but then I’ve always been a fan of the less-is-more approach to POVs. The first half of the book is pretty straight-forward dystopian, but the second half felt like a romance novel with a smidgen of dystopian thrown in as an afterthought. In the end, there was resolution for the romance, but no real resolution or satisfying stopping point for the rest of the plot. With so much going on plot-wise, the book really lacked in world-building. The characters kept mentioning how terrible Ludwig and his New World Army are, but there wasn’t much evidence of it aside from the very beginning of the book when Charlotte’s mother is killed.
Now, I hope I haven’t completely dissuaded you from giving this book a chance. Despite all the flaws, it was a real page-turner. It had some great action, the chemistry between Charlotte and Pete was fantastic, and there were a couple pretty hot scenes thrown in. What can I say? I’m a sucker for a boy with tattoos.
Read more reviews at www.wrenreads.com!
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