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Death Thieves
You're dead, Summer Dawn Rae.
When Summer Rae is stolen from the moment of her own death and taken to a future where mankind is dying, it is with the hope that she, and other teenagers like her, can save it. But after only a short time in the future, Summer discovers a darker side to the altruistic reasons behind her abduction. She is determined to fulfill her purpose in a world gone literally mad, but can an ordinary girl save a whole world when she only cares about saving one person?
When Summer Rae is stolen from the moment of her own death and taken to a future where mankind is dying, it is with the hope that she, and other teenagers like her, can save it. But after only a short time in the future, Summer discovers a darker side to the altruistic reasons behind her abduction. She is determined to fulfill her purpose in a world gone literally mad, but can an ordinary girl save a whole world when she only cares about saving one person?
309 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 12, 2016
19 people are currently reading
470 people want to read
About the author
Julie Wright
62 books726 followersJulie Wright wrote her first book when she was fifteen. She's written over twenty novels since then. She is a Whitney Awards winner for best romance with her books Cross My Heart and Lies Jane Austen Told Me, The American Library Association listed “Glass Slippers, Ever After, and Me” in their 2020 top ten best romances and "A Captain for Caroline Gray" in their 2021 top ten best romances.
She has one husband, five kids, two grandbabies, one dog, and a varying amount of houseplants (depending on attrition).
She loves writing, reading, hiking, playing with her kids, and watching her husband make dinner.
She hates mayonnaise.
She has one husband, five kids, two grandbabies, one dog, and a varying amount of houseplants (depending on attrition).
She loves writing, reading, hiking, playing with her kids, and watching her husband make dinner.
She hates mayonnaise.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 104 reviews
February 8, 2017
(I received an advance copy of this book for free. Thanks to Kindle Scout.)
This was a YA sci-fi story featuring time travel.
Summer was an okay character although she sure liked to cause trouble. It was nice to see how much she cared for her twin sister though, and it was clear that she would do anything to protect her.
The storyline in this was about Summer being taken just moments before her death in a car accident, and taken to the future where humans were infertile. The pace in this was pretty slow though, and the book dragged because of it. We did get a bit of romance, but only a very small bit, and right at the end.
The ending to this was okay, and things ended happily enough.
6 out of 10
“You’re dead, Summer Dawn Rae.”
This was a YA sci-fi story featuring time travel.
Summer was an okay character although she sure liked to cause trouble. It was nice to see how much she cared for her twin sister though, and it was clear that she would do anything to protect her.
The storyline in this was about Summer being taken just moments before her death in a car accident, and taken to the future where humans were infertile. The pace in this was pretty slow though, and the book dragged because of it. We did get a bit of romance, but only a very small bit, and right at the end.
The ending to this was okay, and things ended happily enough.
6 out of 10
December 18, 2016
Death Thieves by Julie Wright is such an wonderful sci-fi book, I was total surprised! I am very tired of reading dystopia books and time travel books are not my favorite so I am not sure what possessed me to ask for this book from the woman I review for a blog for but I did. I am soooo glad I did! This book had so much in it that swept me away. The main characters were so well developed, the concepts were thought provoking, the author put a lot of time in creating and thinking through this future world and what it would take to make it to this place, the emotions, the intrigue, the action, the consequences of our actions today, the touch of romance (I don't normally like romance but it worked well here), and the well planned plot and surprises. The book may have started slower than the rest of the book but the author had to introduce the characters and the love she had for her sister and family. Something that comes into play later. Everything the author did was important when you look back, a very thought out book. Well done! I am so glad I was having a weak moment and picked this book or I would have missed a wonderful book!!! It was a book I thought about long after reading it. I received a review copy of this book, a review was not required, all opinions are my own.
November 15, 2016
Title: Death Thieves
Author: Julie Wright
Publisher: Kindle Press, 2016
Genre: YA Dystopian, YA Science Fiction
**I received a copy of this book free from Ebooksforreview.com and the author in exchange for an honest review**
This review can be found on my Blog, TeacherofYA's Tumblr, or my Goodreads page
My Review:
So I requested this title from Ebooksforreview back in August, and I have to admit, I love the amount of time they give you to review a book! I get busy and forgetful and I have lots going on, but having 90 days to review a book is incredibly generous. So I go back to the time and time again. And I have yet to be disappointed!
Summer Dawn Rae and her sister Winter are twins: Winter is the achiever and Summer is the one who performs under the radar. Unfortunately, Winter isn't the one who dies...Summer is. Well, she is supposed to die, but Tag saves her. He comes from the future to bring her with him, and leaves a body in her place. Since she's supposed to die, history is not altered. The only problem is that Summer doesn't go anywhere without her twin.
She fights Tag and ends up screwing up the window of time for them to return to 2112: Tag's time. He wants to bring her to the future because infertility is preventing new births, and civilization will die out if it continues. Summer's been picked to be a New Youth...essentially one of a couple hundred people who are not infected with infertility from mutated STDs. The mutation has led to a race of Crazy people, and once a child turns three, if they don't pass an evaluation, they are euthanized.
Summer doesn't want to be a New Youth; she just wants her sister. She already lost her boyfriend in the car accident that supposedly claimed her life, and Winter is her other half. But after spending some time with Tag, she realizes that she can't go back...because all of her loved ones think she is dead. While waiting to return to Tag's time, Summer slowly realizes that Tag isn't that bad...but he is infected, keeping him off-limits as anything even remotely friendly.
Will 2112 be the wonderful future that Tag has described? How can it be if babies are being put to death? Where does a chronic underperformed belong in a future world? And can she share her future with Tag, even though she could get him killed for fraternizing with a New Youth?
Is It Classroom-Appropriate?
Yes. It really is. I love finding standalone books that can be used in a classroom! This one has a great structure: moral implications, well-developed characters, and time travel (who doesn't love a good time travel story?)...I can see so many fun prompts for this one already. Tag's future has benefits and drawbacks, and though it appears they are trying to create a utopic world with the New Youth, there are people in the future separated by class and wealth. The government controls everything (just like a good dystopian world) and babies are born in public nurseries to try to prevent this "crazy" disease.
I can imagine discussing the class system, the idea of thieving people from their natural deaths, the moral quandary of killing children...the text is rich with options. I am definitely keeping this one on my list for classroom-use!
Age Range:
Though the book isn't "popular" enough to warrant a Lexile score, I would estimate a good age range at 12 and up. There's no sex, no swearing...the protagonist is very relatable (she has habits like saying, "Stupid!" to herself when making a mistake, she accidentally calls people crazy in a world where calling someone crazy is like accusing them of being a witch, she has natural insecurities that most young people have), and the story is fun and imaginative. I really enjoyed this one and would give it to my niece to read. I think she'd like it.
Here's the author, Julie Wright:
End Result:
I give Death Thieves ★★★★☆. I would actually give it four and a half but of course there's no half-stars in my world. Maybe in the future? Lol. But seriously, I would recommend this to fans of dystopian lit that like standalones (I was satisfied but I'd be happy with more!) or like something easy to get into. Death Thieves was a truly fun read and it stuck with me. I'm going to read more of Julie Wright's books and see if I can find another winner: I already subscribed to her blog!
Happy Reading, everyone! Check out an indie book ASAP and help self-published writers out! So many good stories get left by the wayside because they aren't published by huge publishing houses...I say give em a chance!
Author: Julie Wright
Publisher: Kindle Press, 2016
Genre: YA Dystopian, YA Science Fiction
**I received a copy of this book free from Ebooksforreview.com and the author in exchange for an honest review**
This review can be found on my Blog, TeacherofYA's Tumblr, or my Goodreads page
My Review:
So I requested this title from Ebooksforreview back in August, and I have to admit, I love the amount of time they give you to review a book! I get busy and forgetful and I have lots going on, but having 90 days to review a book is incredibly generous. So I go back to the time and time again. And I have yet to be disappointed!
Summer Dawn Rae and her sister Winter are twins: Winter is the achiever and Summer is the one who performs under the radar. Unfortunately, Winter isn't the one who dies...Summer is. Well, she is supposed to die, but Tag saves her. He comes from the future to bring her with him, and leaves a body in her place. Since she's supposed to die, history is not altered. The only problem is that Summer doesn't go anywhere without her twin.
She fights Tag and ends up screwing up the window of time for them to return to 2112: Tag's time. He wants to bring her to the future because infertility is preventing new births, and civilization will die out if it continues. Summer's been picked to be a New Youth...essentially one of a couple hundred people who are not infected with infertility from mutated STDs. The mutation has led to a race of Crazy people, and once a child turns three, if they don't pass an evaluation, they are euthanized.
Summer doesn't want to be a New Youth; she just wants her sister. She already lost her boyfriend in the car accident that supposedly claimed her life, and Winter is her other half. But after spending some time with Tag, she realizes that she can't go back...because all of her loved ones think she is dead. While waiting to return to Tag's time, Summer slowly realizes that Tag isn't that bad...but he is infected, keeping him off-limits as anything even remotely friendly.
Will 2112 be the wonderful future that Tag has described? How can it be if babies are being put to death? Where does a chronic underperformed belong in a future world? And can she share her future with Tag, even though she could get him killed for fraternizing with a New Youth?
Is It Classroom-Appropriate?
Yes. It really is. I love finding standalone books that can be used in a classroom! This one has a great structure: moral implications, well-developed characters, and time travel (who doesn't love a good time travel story?)...I can see so many fun prompts for this one already. Tag's future has benefits and drawbacks, and though it appears they are trying to create a utopic world with the New Youth, there are people in the future separated by class and wealth. The government controls everything (just like a good dystopian world) and babies are born in public nurseries to try to prevent this "crazy" disease.
I can imagine discussing the class system, the idea of thieving people from their natural deaths, the moral quandary of killing children...the text is rich with options. I am definitely keeping this one on my list for classroom-use!
Age Range:
Though the book isn't "popular" enough to warrant a Lexile score, I would estimate a good age range at 12 and up. There's no sex, no swearing...the protagonist is very relatable (she has habits like saying, "Stupid!" to herself when making a mistake, she accidentally calls people crazy in a world where calling someone crazy is like accusing them of being a witch, she has natural insecurities that most young people have), and the story is fun and imaginative. I really enjoyed this one and would give it to my niece to read. I think she'd like it.
Here's the author, Julie Wright:
End Result:
I give Death Thieves ★★★★☆. I would actually give it four and a half but of course there's no half-stars in my world. Maybe in the future? Lol. But seriously, I would recommend this to fans of dystopian lit that like standalones (I was satisfied but I'd be happy with more!) or like something easy to get into. Death Thieves was a truly fun read and it stuck with me. I'm going to read more of Julie Wright's books and see if I can find another winner: I already subscribed to her blog!
Happy Reading, everyone! Check out an indie book ASAP and help self-published writers out! So many good stories get left by the wayside because they aren't published by huge publishing houses...I say give em a chance!
October 27, 2016
3.5 stars rounding up
The concept for this book is so interesting. It's sort of a mashup of time travel and dystopian with a light smattering of romance thrown in. Actually, the romance is more of an underlying current for most of the book. I voted for this book in the kindle scout program because I have read other books by Julie Wright and was really looking forward to reading a book in this genre by her. I do believe this is her first step into this genre. I got an advance copy of this book when it won and I'm sorry it's taken me this long to get around to reading it! It always feels refreshing to step outside my usual go-to genre to read books like this that I also enjoy.
The book started off a bit slow for me but it picks up and the pacing becomes a bit faster. Maybe it was just that the story really needed Tag. Once he came into the story, everything seemed a bit better. Summer is smart and has spunk but she is also pretty selfish in the beginning. It was hard to really like her. When she starts thinking past just herself, Summer becomes more likable to me as a character. I kind of wish I could have seen more of this story from Tag's point of view. I felt like I was missing out on knowing him better.
It would appear that this book is a stand alone, which is really unusual for this genre. I was actually glad to have resolution at the end. Sometimes it's just a relief to have a book come to a conclusion and not have to wait what seems like forever to have the next book. :)
Content: Some mild violence but clean otherwise
- I received a copy of this book through the Kindle Scout program. All opinions expressed are my own.
The concept for this book is so interesting. It's sort of a mashup of time travel and dystopian with a light smattering of romance thrown in. Actually, the romance is more of an underlying current for most of the book. I voted for this book in the kindle scout program because I have read other books by Julie Wright and was really looking forward to reading a book in this genre by her. I do believe this is her first step into this genre. I got an advance copy of this book when it won and I'm sorry it's taken me this long to get around to reading it! It always feels refreshing to step outside my usual go-to genre to read books like this that I also enjoy.
The book started off a bit slow for me but it picks up and the pacing becomes a bit faster. Maybe it was just that the story really needed Tag. Once he came into the story, everything seemed a bit better. Summer is smart and has spunk but she is also pretty selfish in the beginning. It was hard to really like her. When she starts thinking past just herself, Summer becomes more likable to me as a character. I kind of wish I could have seen more of this story from Tag's point of view. I felt like I was missing out on knowing him better.
It would appear that this book is a stand alone, which is really unusual for this genre. I was actually glad to have resolution at the end. Sometimes it's just a relief to have a book come to a conclusion and not have to wait what seems like forever to have the next book. :)
Content: Some mild violence but clean otherwise
- I received a copy of this book through the Kindle Scout program. All opinions expressed are my own.
September 19, 2016
I was given a copy of Death Thieves via Goodreads in exchange for an honest review.
The story was a little slow starting, but I was glad I carried on reading.
I really enjoyed this book; I finished it in one sitting, it held my attention and kept me turning the pages.
I loved the twists and turns along the way which I didn't see coming.
The ending was perfect, though I felt was a tiny bit rushed. It did happily conclude though (I think I just wanted more!).
I would recommend :)
The story was a little slow starting, but I was glad I carried on reading.
I really enjoyed this book; I finished it in one sitting, it held my attention and kept me turning the pages.
I loved the twists and turns along the way which I didn't see coming.
The ending was perfect, though I felt was a tiny bit rushed. It did happily conclude though (I think I just wanted more!).
I would recommend :)
November 14, 2016
I'm between a 3 and a 4 star rating for this one. After letting it sit for a few days I'm going to stick with a 3.5 star rating. I kept putting off reading this one in my list. I've read a few other books by Julie Wright and really enjoyed them and the synopsis sounded really intriguing but I'd go to grab it and just wasn't quite in the mood for it. I'm sure you all understand that very well. I kept sticking other books in place of this one and put it off until the last possible moment for getting my review up that I could (since this is one that I agreed to review) because of other books that were calling me. Well I think I can honestly say that I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. I love YA books, not sure if it's the kid in me that refuses to go away or just because they're great, or because of my own kids being in that reading age, or just because. Add to that dystopian and well, yeah, I'm hooked. Ha!
I thought from the synopsis that the main character Summer Rae would become one of the death thieves, in the sense that she was taken from the time of her death and saved, brought to the future and taught to take others from their deaths as well. But no it was not quite that way. Summer and Winter, twin sisters, sisters who mean the world to each other, sisters who protect and take care of each other, sisters who would do anything for the other. That is one of the main aspects of this book and comes into play throughout the whole storyline. I loved reading about their relationship and seeing how Summer refused to just forget about her sister even though she jumped through time hundreds of years and Winter was no longer living, she had a desire to protect her and hope that her life was good and all that it should have been.
As Summer is pulled from her death, she meets Tagger, or Tag, a soldier from the future who is to rescue the elite and bring them to save the world. We find that the world is on the brink of ruin due to an infection that has caused mental instability to course through most everyone. Those infected should not have more children because it causes further instability, or craziness. Saying crazy is a bit touchy when in the future so be careful, yes Summer I'm talking to you. Dr. Reik has figured out a way to save the world and Summer is part of that. All the elite(those stolen from their deaths) need to do is interact with other elite, marry one of them and have babies and the world is saved. Ta da! The elite are not carries of the disease and will not pass it on to their children. The people in the future who are healthy are afraid to have children(not going to go into why because it's part of the story that you have to read) so the only way is to bring clean, healthy people from the past to fix everything.
Well this being a YA dystopian, we must have a character who will not take the normal off the cuff answers and just follow along like a mindless drone. She will search and discover and do all that she does in the name of those she loves. I liked Summer, although there were moments where I was frustrated with her. But I might have done some of the same things that she did because hello, who wouldn't want to get back and prove to your family that you're really alive and not dead and save them the suffering?
I enjoyed the research info that was shared throughout as Summer threw herself into her studies. The premise was very intriguing as I said earlier and it was not a slow paced book. I actually got to the point that I was turning pages faster to figure it out. My guesses didn't all pan out for the ending of the book but I liked how the author wrapped everything up and answered questions for the reader throughout.
I loved Tag. He was the perfect gentleman, he made Summer think and gave her the needed push to keep searching and fighting. It felt to me that he was stuck where he was and not able to push the limits in noticeable ways but in little ways. I know, that's vague but hey I can't spoil the adventure of you jumping in and reading the book yourself. I don't want to prejudice you completely with my thoughts from reading it. Tag was just great!!!! Summer took a little warming up to but once she started to realize her situation and how she could help I didn't mind her. Definite character growth that happened.
Last group I want to mention...the elite. With so many of them, I was grateful for the characters that the author brought out into the spotlight for the reader to know and connect with. A good combination of different personalities, some you'll love and some you'll loath, yes loath. Kathleen, loved her(she's not an elite-you'll have to find her yourself)!!!
Stolen moments, hidden notes, time jumping, books, Moon and Stars, heartache, love, babies, kidnapping, marriages, hidden identities, craziness, selfishness, selflessness, rings, a volcano, disease, hope, protection, and much more lies within the pages of this novel.
Content disclosure time...I think this might be where I was between a 3, 4 star rating. This might be a little spoilerish, so fair warning...the disease that causes the craziness is caused by STDs. Although it wasn't graphic or done crudely, or even talked about a lot, that is where the stem of the disease comes from. The author shows that certain diseases left unchecked or allowed to perpetuate could cause this futuristic world. It was a crucial part of the story and yet it wasn't, it was very underlying as much as it was crucial. Hopefully that makes sense. Feel free to message me for specific questions if you want. Other than that for content, and even with that for content I would say this was a clean read. There were a few kisses but nothing more than that. I would recommend for the older age range of YA readers due to the cause of the craziness.
I received a copy from ebooks in exchange for an honest review.
Happy Reading!!!
I thought from the synopsis that the main character Summer Rae would become one of the death thieves, in the sense that she was taken from the time of her death and saved, brought to the future and taught to take others from their deaths as well. But no it was not quite that way. Summer and Winter, twin sisters, sisters who mean the world to each other, sisters who protect and take care of each other, sisters who would do anything for the other. That is one of the main aspects of this book and comes into play throughout the whole storyline. I loved reading about their relationship and seeing how Summer refused to just forget about her sister even though she jumped through time hundreds of years and Winter was no longer living, she had a desire to protect her and hope that her life was good and all that it should have been.
As Summer is pulled from her death, she meets Tagger, or Tag, a soldier from the future who is to rescue the elite and bring them to save the world. We find that the world is on the brink of ruin due to an infection that has caused mental instability to course through most everyone. Those infected should not have more children because it causes further instability, or craziness. Saying crazy is a bit touchy when in the future so be careful, yes Summer I'm talking to you. Dr. Reik has figured out a way to save the world and Summer is part of that. All the elite(those stolen from their deaths) need to do is interact with other elite, marry one of them and have babies and the world is saved. Ta da! The elite are not carries of the disease and will not pass it on to their children. The people in the future who are healthy are afraid to have children(not going to go into why because it's part of the story that you have to read) so the only way is to bring clean, healthy people from the past to fix everything.
Well this being a YA dystopian, we must have a character who will not take the normal off the cuff answers and just follow along like a mindless drone. She will search and discover and do all that she does in the name of those she loves. I liked Summer, although there were moments where I was frustrated with her. But I might have done some of the same things that she did because hello, who wouldn't want to get back and prove to your family that you're really alive and not dead and save them the suffering?
I enjoyed the research info that was shared throughout as Summer threw herself into her studies. The premise was very intriguing as I said earlier and it was not a slow paced book. I actually got to the point that I was turning pages faster to figure it out. My guesses didn't all pan out for the ending of the book but I liked how the author wrapped everything up and answered questions for the reader throughout.
I loved Tag. He was the perfect gentleman, he made Summer think and gave her the needed push to keep searching and fighting. It felt to me that he was stuck where he was and not able to push the limits in noticeable ways but in little ways. I know, that's vague but hey I can't spoil the adventure of you jumping in and reading the book yourself. I don't want to prejudice you completely with my thoughts from reading it. Tag was just great!!!! Summer took a little warming up to but once she started to realize her situation and how she could help I didn't mind her. Definite character growth that happened.
Last group I want to mention...the elite. With so many of them, I was grateful for the characters that the author brought out into the spotlight for the reader to know and connect with. A good combination of different personalities, some you'll love and some you'll loath, yes loath. Kathleen, loved her(she's not an elite-you'll have to find her yourself)!!!
Stolen moments, hidden notes, time jumping, books, Moon and Stars, heartache, love, babies, kidnapping, marriages, hidden identities, craziness, selfishness, selflessness, rings, a volcano, disease, hope, protection, and much more lies within the pages of this novel.
Content disclosure time...I think this might be where I was between a 3, 4 star rating. This might be a little spoilerish, so fair warning...the disease that causes the craziness is caused by STDs. Although it wasn't graphic or done crudely, or even talked about a lot, that is where the stem of the disease comes from. The author shows that certain diseases left unchecked or allowed to perpetuate could cause this futuristic world. It was a crucial part of the story and yet it wasn't, it was very underlying as much as it was crucial. Hopefully that makes sense. Feel free to message me for specific questions if you want. Other than that for content, and even with that for content I would say this was a clean read. There were a few kisses but nothing more than that. I would recommend for the older age range of YA readers due to the cause of the craziness.
I received a copy from ebooks in exchange for an honest review.
Happy Reading!!!
August 10, 2016
I've been reading a lot of books in the romance genre lately, but I've been missing some adventure and fantasy in my life. When I came across Death Thieves by Julie Wright on the Amazon Lending Library I knew I had to give it a shot. I'm glad I did!
This book has the right amount of ingredients to keep me turing the pages:
✔ Time Travel
✔ Believable Futuristic Cities
✔ Strong and Smart Female Lead Character
✔ Believable Love Interest
✔ Life Threatening Circumstances
✔ A Civilization in Danger of Extinction
✔ An Unexpected Villain
All these elements are present in this book in a way that's very digestible and believable. As far as the world Wright has created, I liked that the technologies that were considered 'perfect' were left unchanged while some things were improved upon in a way that would normally occur through advancements in technology and science. Also, some of the new technologies that were present in the book didn't seem so far fetched, because the concepts are alive today. For example, starting your car without a key and paying at the store without handing over cash or a credit card. All these little details made the story much more believable in my mind.
Summer as the strong female lead was exactly what I was looking for. She's not without her vulnerabilities but she's smart, a quick thinker and a surviver. Summer's not afraid to go down her own path. And, she's incredibility motivated by what she feels is right and moral, which is all you can ask for as the heroin of this story.
I thought this book had a few strong messages: 1) Summer's strong bond with her sister Winter, 2) the reason in which civilization is in danger of extinction and how that course is changed and 3) the importance of learning from our past to guide the future.
This book is no Hunger Games, but I enjoyed it for what it was. I only wish there was more. I want to hear more about Tag and Summer because I know they are going to accomplish many great things in their future!
(Find more of my thoughts on Death Thieves on my blog - SimplyJustJenna)
This book has the right amount of ingredients to keep me turing the pages:
✔ Time Travel
✔ Believable Futuristic Cities
✔ Strong and Smart Female Lead Character
✔ Believable Love Interest
✔ Life Threatening Circumstances
✔ A Civilization in Danger of Extinction
✔ An Unexpected Villain
All these elements are present in this book in a way that's very digestible and believable. As far as the world Wright has created, I liked that the technologies that were considered 'perfect' were left unchanged while some things were improved upon in a way that would normally occur through advancements in technology and science. Also, some of the new technologies that were present in the book didn't seem so far fetched, because the concepts are alive today. For example, starting your car without a key and paying at the store without handing over cash or a credit card. All these little details made the story much more believable in my mind.
Summer as the strong female lead was exactly what I was looking for. She's not without her vulnerabilities but she's smart, a quick thinker and a surviver. Summer's not afraid to go down her own path. And, she's incredibility motivated by what she feels is right and moral, which is all you can ask for as the heroin of this story.
I thought this book had a few strong messages: 1) Summer's strong bond with her sister Winter, 2) the reason in which civilization is in danger of extinction and how that course is changed and 3) the importance of learning from our past to guide the future.
This book is no Hunger Games, but I enjoyed it for what it was. I only wish there was more. I want to hear more about Tag and Summer because I know they are going to accomplish many great things in their future!
(Find more of my thoughts on Death Thieves on my blog - SimplyJustJenna)
October 31, 2016
Sometimes you come across a book that makes you think. It makes you think about your actions and the difference that one person can make. This book did that for me.
Summer is a teen who is dealing with some hard things. She and her twin sister, Winter, live with a relative. Their father has not been a part of their lives and their mother has passed away. They are different in personality, but bonded and there for each other.
Summer is a little rebellious. She does not take things at face value. She questions. She follows her conscience. She pushes the limits. Her personality makes a very interesting story. I love that she is a strong character with high morals. She doesn't give in or up when faced with hard choices. She takes the difficult road to make things better for society, instead of thinking of just herself. She looks beneath the surface of a problem and tries to find solutions.
The book deals with some tough issues. The world of the future is infertile. Everyone has been exposed to an STD and babies are born infected. The disease has both mental and physical complications. Summer and about 150 others are brought from the scene of their deaths into the future to populate society. They are put in an optimal environment to date, fall in love, get married, and then procreate.
As you can guess, this is a dystopian novel, the situation is not perfect. Below the surface the deal is rotten. People from the past may not fall in love with others that were born during that time frame, because EVERYONE is infected. Her role is to fall in love with someone from the past. Unfortunately, she has feelings for the soldier that pulled save her from her accident and brought her to the future.
This book has elements of romance, political corruption, suspense, time travel, and a strong heroine. It consider it a clean read. There is some violence, kissing, and innuendo.
Summer is a teen who is dealing with some hard things. She and her twin sister, Winter, live with a relative. Their father has not been a part of their lives and their mother has passed away. They are different in personality, but bonded and there for each other.
Summer is a little rebellious. She does not take things at face value. She questions. She follows her conscience. She pushes the limits. Her personality makes a very interesting story. I love that she is a strong character with high morals. She doesn't give in or up when faced with hard choices. She takes the difficult road to make things better for society, instead of thinking of just herself. She looks beneath the surface of a problem and tries to find solutions.
The book deals with some tough issues. The world of the future is infertile. Everyone has been exposed to an STD and babies are born infected. The disease has both mental and physical complications. Summer and about 150 others are brought from the scene of their deaths into the future to populate society. They are put in an optimal environment to date, fall in love, get married, and then procreate.
As you can guess, this is a dystopian novel, the situation is not perfect. Below the surface the deal is rotten. People from the past may not fall in love with others that were born during that time frame, because EVERYONE is infected. Her role is to fall in love with someone from the past. Unfortunately, she has feelings for the soldier that pulled save her from her accident and brought her to the future.
This book has elements of romance, political corruption, suspense, time travel, and a strong heroine. It consider it a clean read. There is some violence, kissing, and innuendo.
September 24, 2016
This one started out really slow. I couldn't fall in love with the characters. Plus, the cover didn't grab me. I wasn't sure if I would keep with it. It was heading toward any other dystopian book where one man is trying to rule a broken world and help it rise to greatness again through corrupt and self-serving acts. But I like this author and her previous books, so I kept plugging through. I'm glad I did. After the car accident, it picked up and I couldn't catch my breath. I couldn't put it down. I loved the characters and the setting. I didn't know who to trust or how things could possibly work out. It had action, betrayal, suspense, mystery, and a little romance. I would recommend this one for older teens on up because it does touch on sensitive topics such as assault, STD's, and "making 'crack babies'". Ingenious and thought provoking ideas for a story. I would read this one again. I received this book in exchange for an honest review.
July 16, 2016
Opening line:
"I stumbled in the dark, trying to get out without alerting anyone to my escape."
The beginning of this book drew me until about the time Summer was kidnapped by a guy from the future named Tag and basically told she would be an Eve in a dying world. I wasn't that excited to keep reading but I'm so glad I did! Ms. Wright has written a unputdownable story about time travel, greedy world leaders, adventure and romance.
The main story of the world slowly dying and the adventure to save it was awesome and kept me reading, wondering how this story could possibly end on a happy note.
The romance was tense and surprising and I loved the way it built up.
And the twists and turns and the ending! Awesome.
Keep up the good work, Julie Wright!!
"I stumbled in the dark, trying to get out without alerting anyone to my escape."
The beginning of this book drew me until about the time Summer was kidnapped by a guy from the future named Tag and basically told she would be an Eve in a dying world. I wasn't that excited to keep reading but I'm so glad I did! Ms. Wright has written a unputdownable story about time travel, greedy world leaders, adventure and romance.
The main story of the world slowly dying and the adventure to save it was awesome and kept me reading, wondering how this story could possibly end on a happy note.
The romance was tense and surprising and I loved the way it built up.
And the twists and turns and the ending! Awesome.
Keep up the good work, Julie Wright!!
December 24, 2016
Cherry-picking young adults from the past to populate the future is an intriguing concept with far-reaching effects and Ms. Wright does an excellent job of making the reader carefully consider all angles of the dilemma.
Read full review in the 2016 December issue of InD'tale Magazine.
Read full review in the 2016 December issue of InD'tale Magazine.
April 4, 2017
I was so excited to finally read Death Thieves by Julie Wright. I've read many books by this author, but not in this genre, a first for her. Frankly, this story was amazing! It had so many of the elements that I love in a YA Science Fiction/Dystopian novel. The time travel involved is so fascinating, and the how and why it's done will leave you stunned. Sassy lead character, Summer, is rescued from the jaws of death by a young soldier, Tag, who's from the future. This future is cold, scary, and somewhat heartless. The population is dying because of a blood disease that causes difficulty being able to get pregnant and have healthy babies. Future leaders rule unscrupulously and leave you uneasy as you read about how many people are left in the dark about what is really happening.
The character growth in the main character is huge from when we first meet Summer and her twin sister Winter, until the end of the book where she shows such selflessness and concern for others. I also liked how at a point in the story she applies her brainpower and really starts making a difference in society. Honestly, she's a great example to all teens who read this book about how life and circumstances can change if you work hard.
The romance in the story is low-key, but enough that makes the ending sweet. I wish that there had been more, but when you read Death Thieves you'll understand why it was saved for the end. Some moments and revelations in this story can be harsh and horrifying, along with some violence but were vital to the plot of the story. With great suspense, intrigue, and other elements make this story move along at a good pace. Death Thieves will keep you reading as the truth unfolds in a climactic ending leaving you breathless.
This story is for older teens and adults and gets 5 stars from me.
I received a copy of this book from Kindlescout.
The character growth in the main character is huge from when we first meet Summer and her twin sister Winter, until the end of the book where she shows such selflessness and concern for others. I also liked how at a point in the story she applies her brainpower and really starts making a difference in society. Honestly, she's a great example to all teens who read this book about how life and circumstances can change if you work hard.
The romance in the story is low-key, but enough that makes the ending sweet. I wish that there had been more, but when you read Death Thieves you'll understand why it was saved for the end. Some moments and revelations in this story can be harsh and horrifying, along with some violence but were vital to the plot of the story. With great suspense, intrigue, and other elements make this story move along at a good pace. Death Thieves will keep you reading as the truth unfolds in a climactic ending leaving you breathless.
This story is for older teens and adults and gets 5 stars from me.
I received a copy of this book from Kindlescout.
April 14, 2017
This was a well-thought story.
With small details, easily overlooked, that made for important turns in the plot after all.
With a believable futuristic, dystopian society, where all was not what it seemed.
And with interesting characters and relationships I liked to see growing -- at least the ones capable of doing so -- and developing.
It started out a bit slow, but that pace ended up making sense. It served to 'show' Summer's life pre-accident, thus enhancing her later growth as a character, as well as plant some of the above-mentioned small details.
Twin powers... Activate!
With small details, easily overlooked, that made for important turns in the plot after all.
With a believable futuristic, dystopian society, where all was not what it seemed.
And with interesting characters and relationships I liked to see growing -- at least the ones capable of doing so -- and developing.
It started out a bit slow, but that pace ended up making sense. It served to 'show' Summer's life pre-accident, thus enhancing her later growth as a character, as well as plant some of the above-mentioned small details.
Twin powers... Activate!
September 11, 2019
Combining time travel and dystopia, this story is built on an intriguing, well though out premise. Unfortunately, the execution fell a bit flat for me. The pacing is too uneven, with the story taking forever to really get anywhere and the ending somehow managing to feel rushed and too dragged out at the same time.
September 18, 2016
Death Thieves by Julie Shaw is the story of Summer Rae. Summer Dawn Rae and her twin sister Winter Eve Rae have very different personalities. They grow up in the foster care system until the age of 12 when a relative named Theresa takes them in. At the beginning of this book they are 17. While Winter aspires to be an actress and to get good enough grades to get a scholarship, Summer's grades are so so, and she gets into trouble more often. She has been known to sneak out of the house with her boyfriend and at the time the book opens is finishing up a three month grounding. However, she has had the feeling she is being watched and followed for a week. A few days following her sneaking out at night to help clean up a cave, she gets an invitation from her boyfriend to cut classes and go out to lunch. She tells her sister about it and asks her to join them, but Winter declines and begs Summer not to go because she has a bad feeling about it. On the was back from lunch, Summer sees a truck coming straight for her boyfriend's car. Suddenly, the person she has seen watching her is in front of her, and the next thing she knows is that she is watching the accident from a distance. That's where the person who got her out tells her she died in the accident, but he can take her to a future time where she will be highly treasured because she isn't infected with the disease that makes people sterile and unable to have children in the future.
What follows is a good story of a new world with action, humor, fright, and a lot of things that make you think. This isn't the best book I've read this year, but it's by no means the worst. It has a science fiction element to it especially in describing the future. I enjoyed reading this book. Summer's character was easy to relate to, especially her desire to find the cure for the disease that is causing the population to die off. I liked Tag, the soldier who pulled Summer out of the wreck, because he struggled so hard with his identity in light of the events of his past. A few of the other characters had less development but played a major role in the book. This book had twists that I didn't expect, and the moral dilemma made it interesting. It's not the typical YA Fantasy, and for that reason I gave it 4 stars.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
What follows is a good story of a new world with action, humor, fright, and a lot of things that make you think. This isn't the best book I've read this year, but it's by no means the worst. It has a science fiction element to it especially in describing the future. I enjoyed reading this book. Summer's character was easy to relate to, especially her desire to find the cure for the disease that is causing the population to die off. I liked Tag, the soldier who pulled Summer out of the wreck, because he struggled so hard with his identity in light of the events of his past. A few of the other characters had less development but played a major role in the book. This book had twists that I didn't expect, and the moral dilemma made it interesting. It's not the typical YA Fantasy, and for that reason I gave it 4 stars.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
November 11, 2016
I received an eARC of this book from I Am a Reader. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of this review.
Death Thieves by Julie Wright is an interesting and unique take on the dystopian trope. Summer Dawn Rae living her life one day at a time in foster care with her twin sister when she is ripped from a car accident that should have killed her and taken to save an unknown future.
Summer is an easy to like character. While she makes rash decisions, she ultimately puts her sister’s needs first. She describes herself as the heat to Winter’s cool. Their names really reflect their personalities. Summer is outgoing, rebellious, and doesn’t take orders well. When a soldier from the future saves her from her death, she fights him. She wants to stay in her own time stream and live with the only family she knows. You have to admire her for that. She’s great at causing trouble.
The story revolves around this unknown future, a future where the human population is dying off due to a mutated STI/STD that causes them to be sterile. Summer is taken at the moment of her death so as not to disrupt the past and brought to the future to be a “New Youth.” Basically her and many others are there to breed and repopulate without the mutated infection. Obviously rebellious Summer is all for helping….NOT. It’s interesting story, yet the plot moves at a very slow pace until about the 60% mark. Don’t get me wrong. It’s still an interesting read, just takes a little while to get into the story.
Overall I enjoyed this unique take on time travel and dystopia. Summer is an interesting character as she tries to fit into this new society and get back to her sister. If you enjoy science fiction and dystopia, I recommend you pick up a copy for yourself!
Death Thieves by Julie Wright is an interesting and unique take on the dystopian trope. Summer Dawn Rae living her life one day at a time in foster care with her twin sister when she is ripped from a car accident that should have killed her and taken to save an unknown future.
Summer is an easy to like character. While she makes rash decisions, she ultimately puts her sister’s needs first. She describes herself as the heat to Winter’s cool. Their names really reflect their personalities. Summer is outgoing, rebellious, and doesn’t take orders well. When a soldier from the future saves her from her death, she fights him. She wants to stay in her own time stream and live with the only family she knows. You have to admire her for that. She’s great at causing trouble.
The story revolves around this unknown future, a future where the human population is dying off due to a mutated STI/STD that causes them to be sterile. Summer is taken at the moment of her death so as not to disrupt the past and brought to the future to be a “New Youth.” Basically her and many others are there to breed and repopulate without the mutated infection. Obviously rebellious Summer is all for helping….NOT. It’s interesting story, yet the plot moves at a very slow pace until about the 60% mark. Don’t get me wrong. It’s still an interesting read, just takes a little while to get into the story.
Overall I enjoyed this unique take on time travel and dystopia. Summer is an interesting character as she tries to fit into this new society and get back to her sister. If you enjoy science fiction and dystopia, I recommend you pick up a copy for yourself!
November 25, 2016
Romance, clean, but mild Adult forcing themself on girl scene, although thwarted, so adult situation; YA
LOVED this one! I put it off, not sure I wanted to read a heavy dystopian novel right now. I was so sorry I did that now. I have to say this is one of my favorite dystopian reads in the last little bit. It was clever, the setting, and premise were original, the subtle pulling together of the h and H, the moments where the future and past were colliding. The society and how it was described, the gradual unfolding of the plot, and sub plots, seeing the characters come to understand their new 'present'. Summer definitely was a determined character, keen on taking charge of whatever present she was in, and hoping to make things work out for the best. Fiercely loyal, and fiercely hopeful for good, she was a great character, and I think anyone reading would have swooned over Tag. I loved after their intense beginning that they wrote to each other.
Definitely and interesting and complex concept on time travel and the consequences it could have.
I loved the ending, and so glad that they had 'hope' for cures, that the future was what was hoped for. I would have given this 5 stars, but just wanted a sequel, or more to answer more of the questions that were raised in my mind re some of the action. Still overall, a clever read, and fun dystopian novel. I am just wishing for a more detailed ending, or more of this story! Thanks to JW for writing and crafting a clever story.
I received a copy in exchange for a fair and honest review.
LOVED this one! I put it off, not sure I wanted to read a heavy dystopian novel right now. I was so sorry I did that now. I have to say this is one of my favorite dystopian reads in the last little bit. It was clever, the setting, and premise were original, the subtle pulling together of the h and H, the moments where the future and past were colliding. The society and how it was described, the gradual unfolding of the plot, and sub plots, seeing the characters come to understand their new 'present'. Summer definitely was a determined character, keen on taking charge of whatever present she was in, and hoping to make things work out for the best. Fiercely loyal, and fiercely hopeful for good, she was a great character, and I think anyone reading would have swooned over Tag. I loved after their intense beginning that they wrote to each other.
Definitely and interesting and complex concept on time travel and the consequences it could have.
I loved the ending, and so glad that they had 'hope' for cures, that the future was what was hoped for. I would have given this 5 stars, but just wanted a sequel, or more to answer more of the questions that were raised in my mind re some of the action. Still overall, a clever read, and fun dystopian novel. I am just wishing for a more detailed ending, or more of this story! Thanks to JW for writing and crafting a clever story.
I received a copy in exchange for a fair and honest review.
July 4, 2016
I got this book free from kindle scout. I did liked it, but it still moved a little slow for me. I was waiting to read about this amazing medical advance from Summer, but never happen. It was dissapointing, at the end Wright, states that both Summer, and Tag, worked together to find the cure for the mutated STD, and STI, but I really wanted to know how and what it was.
The way Wright, ended the book created a paradox(?), all because of time travel. Time had to right it's self, or re-write history/future. Summer, saved her twin Winter, in turn Winter, saved everyone else, or the future.
It was a Sci-fi, dystopian, coming of age book. It is full of forbidden love, time travel, evil empire, with the self desire to save the future by taking out the evil empire, by the help of the twin, (who played a bigger roll then the solder Tag. He just shot, and fought people.....oh yeah, and time jumped). I mean seriously, everyone else with any type of free thinking was killed, so all was left was a bunch of mindless idiots walking around.......sort of.
The way Wright, ended the book created a paradox(?), all because of time travel. Time had to right it's self, or re-write history/future. Summer, saved her twin Winter, in turn Winter, saved everyone else, or the future.
It was a Sci-fi, dystopian, coming of age book. It is full of forbidden love, time travel, evil empire, with the self desire to save the future by taking out the evil empire, by the help of the twin, (who played a bigger roll then the solder Tag. He just shot, and fought people.....oh yeah, and time jumped). I mean seriously, everyone else with any type of free thinking was killed, so all was left was a bunch of mindless idiots walking around.......sort of.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 3, 2017
In her novel Death Thieves, Julie Wright has written an excellent science fiction, dystopian, romance. It has plenty of suspense and fantasy and a bit of time travel and romance that readers will thoroughly enjoy. This novel is about a girl, Summer Rae, that is killed in a car accident, but is stolen from her death and taken to a different time period in the future where everything is not quite what it seems and is ruled by an evil man. This story is just right for teens or adults and will suck readers in from the very beginning until the very end.
Genre: science fiction, dystopian, fantasy, suspense, time travel, romance, young adult
Publisher: Kindle Press
Publication date: July 12, 2016
Number of pages: 292
Content Rating: PG
Book Rating: 5 stars
A review copy of this novel was provided by Free eBooks for an Honest Review. A review was not required and all views and opinions expressed are my own.
Genre: science fiction, dystopian, fantasy, suspense, time travel, romance, young adult
Publisher: Kindle Press
Publication date: July 12, 2016
Number of pages: 292
Content Rating: PG
Book Rating: 5 stars
A review copy of this novel was provided by Free eBooks for an Honest Review. A review was not required and all views and opinions expressed are my own.
September 28, 2016
This book kept me turning the pages from beginning to end. I'm not sure what I was expecting when I started this book, but the thrill ride with Summer and Tag through time and a freaky future was what I got and what a ride it was.
I loved Summer's strong character, even her stubbornness and desire to do what is right despite the consequences. She is an amazing character!
Tag is nothing like I expected from the beginning. I wondered if some sort of romance might develop, but as the book progressed it was more of a natural attachment rather than a full blown romance and I loved it!
The premise of the story, gave a fantastic twist between science fiction and dystopia. In a market that is flooded with dystopian literature, this book stands above the rest because the time travel element that puts it in a category all it's own.
Well done!!! Highly recommend!!!
I loved Summer's strong character, even her stubbornness and desire to do what is right despite the consequences. She is an amazing character!
Tag is nothing like I expected from the beginning. I wondered if some sort of romance might develop, but as the book progressed it was more of a natural attachment rather than a full blown romance and I loved it!
The premise of the story, gave a fantastic twist between science fiction and dystopia. In a market that is flooded with dystopian literature, this book stands above the rest because the time travel element that puts it in a category all it's own.
Well done!!! Highly recommend!!!
November 29, 2016
This book was completely confusing for awhile, but it was confusing for the character too. She was 'taken' from an accident that caused her death to a new world where they needed fresh undiseased people to start the world over without disease. The journey that the main character takes to get to this place is the interesting part and the part that peeled away all the layers of who she really was and how she wanted to change. I liked her gumption and courage.
I received this free ebook for an honest review.
I received this free ebook for an honest review.
October 24, 2016
Previously I have read three other books by Julie Wright, two from A Tangerine Street Romance series and another from one of my favorite current series, Power of the Matchmaker, so I was very glad indeed to come across this YA book by her so I could read her in another genre.
I had a hard time putting this book down, I enjoyed it very much (and was only disappointed that it ended because as I read it I felt it had the potential to be a trilogy or series). I will look forward to reading more books by this Julie Wright in the future, particularly if she decides to continue this story. I was given this ebook in exchange for an honest review and here it is:
A whole new and extraordinary adventure begins for Summer Rae the moment that she died, or rather should have died, but was instead transported to the future by Tag (a soldier on this mission), to live as an elite New Youth to help future humanity re-populate a world that has evolved into a place where they fight crazy wars, literally.
Not to lead you astray, because this certainly is a complete book that I thoroughly enjoyed... but sometimes I just get an idea in my head and for whatever reason I had the feeling that the world-building Julie Wright had created for this story about Summer and Tag was a solid platform extensive enough to build future books upon and while this is completely wishful thinking on my part, I’m quite certain other fans will be in agreement.
I had a hard time putting this book down, I enjoyed it very much (and was only disappointed that it ended because as I read it I felt it had the potential to be a trilogy or series). I will look forward to reading more books by this Julie Wright in the future, particularly if she decides to continue this story. I was given this ebook in exchange for an honest review and here it is:
A whole new and extraordinary adventure begins for Summer Rae the moment that she died, or rather should have died, but was instead transported to the future by Tag (a soldier on this mission), to live as an elite New Youth to help future humanity re-populate a world that has evolved into a place where they fight crazy wars, literally.
Not to lead you astray, because this certainly is a complete book that I thoroughly enjoyed... but sometimes I just get an idea in my head and for whatever reason I had the feeling that the world-building Julie Wright had created for this story about Summer and Tag was a solid platform extensive enough to build future books upon and while this is completely wishful thinking on my part, I’m quite certain other fans will be in agreement.
September 24, 2016
*I got this book for free from goodreads, in exchange of an honest review.
I chose this book not only because of the interesting sounding plot (who doesn't love exploring a futuristic world, especially in a book with an eye catching title such as The Death Thieves?) but also because one of the reviews or comments about it was by one of my favorite authors, James Dashner of the Maze Runner series. I've never picked up a book by Julie Wright before, and honestly don't think I've heard of her before this one, but I'm glad I read it.
Was it my favorite book out of all the ones I've been devouring this year? No, but it was a fun read.
Summer Dawn Rae is an orphan along with her twin sister, Winter, and has learned how the system works. Learned it in order to survive in the world, and keep her sister safe so she can keep everyone else safe in return. They've been bounced from foster home to foster home since a young age, and fought to stay together forever until a tragedy pulls them apart. Summer is killed in a car accident, but instead of truly dying and that being the end of her life, she's pulled out of the car just before impact and into a place outside of time by a guy who only offers his name as Tag and tells her that she's dead, but also destined to come to the future with him to help save mankind.
She's one of a select few, he says, that can help the future continue and not die out. At first, Summer is resistant to help, only wanting to get back to her sister, but after a couple other near death instances, she begins to trust Tag and allows him to take her to the future where she's been told she'll be like a queen. Except... the future isn't exactly what she pictured it would be like. This new future is beautiful in many ways, but like her Aunt Theresa used to say, there's ugly hiding in a beauty suit, and Summer is beginning to learn that in this new future, there's a whole lot of ugly hiding under a beauty suit indeed.
The first chunk of this book was a little slow for me, as it was simply setting the scene and introducing the important characters, and it was really around 40% of the book where the story really picked up. By then, we were introduced to all of the New Youth (the kids who are meant to save the future), feel a little more established in this futuristic world that Wright created, and can start to see the truth behind the mask that the future presents.
The story itself, though it had picked up and I did find myself more interested in it, wasn't really my thing. The whole reason for the New Youth to have been brought to the future was...not quite my thing, I suppose. The whole idea of kids, ranging from ages fifteen or sixteen to their early twenties being brought from their respective time periods to a future to be essentially breeders, to bring new a new generation into the world and that to be their one and only purpose, didn't sit too comfortably with me, but I was happy to see that Summer felt the same way. While everyone else was interested in flirting and, as the main character herself puts it, finding a mate, she's interested in finding a cure to the disease that brought the future into shambles in the first place. I do have to say, however, it was an interesting idea, one that I don't believe I've seen before.
The reason I give this book three stars instead of four or even five like many of the other reviewers, is because I felt that by the time the book came to a climax, it really dwindled. It was really only the last middle part of the book that really made it stand out to me, and made me interested to know where the story was going and what would happen, but as soon as the climax happened and we were left with the question 'what happens now?', I also was thinking, 'what now?' in a more general sense of the question. The climax wasn't as exciting as I had hoped, and it left me wondering if there was a sequel to this book that would answer questions I had, but by the time I reached the end, I was glad to see it was a stand alone novel.
The characters are interesting enough for the most part, and while Summer does make for a strong female main character, I did often find myself thinking she suffered from the syndrome that a lot of other female leads suffer from in dystonia YA books: the 'I'm not like other girls' feeling. While it wasn't constant, it was brought up several times in how Summer saw her roommate of the New Youths that it was enough to bother me, and that was something I wasn't terribly fond of.
That said, I would recommend this book to anyone who's looking for a different and relatively fast read, and who enjoys characters who don't take no for an answer and aren't afraid to do what's right, instead of what's easy or expected. Would I personally read the book again? Most likely not, but I wouldn't rule out looking up other books by the author and seeing if there's something else I'd like to read.
I chose this book not only because of the interesting sounding plot (who doesn't love exploring a futuristic world, especially in a book with an eye catching title such as The Death Thieves?) but also because one of the reviews or comments about it was by one of my favorite authors, James Dashner of the Maze Runner series. I've never picked up a book by Julie Wright before, and honestly don't think I've heard of her before this one, but I'm glad I read it.
Was it my favorite book out of all the ones I've been devouring this year? No, but it was a fun read.
Summer Dawn Rae is an orphan along with her twin sister, Winter, and has learned how the system works. Learned it in order to survive in the world, and keep her sister safe so she can keep everyone else safe in return. They've been bounced from foster home to foster home since a young age, and fought to stay together forever until a tragedy pulls them apart. Summer is killed in a car accident, but instead of truly dying and that being the end of her life, she's pulled out of the car just before impact and into a place outside of time by a guy who only offers his name as Tag and tells her that she's dead, but also destined to come to the future with him to help save mankind.
She's one of a select few, he says, that can help the future continue and not die out. At first, Summer is resistant to help, only wanting to get back to her sister, but after a couple other near death instances, she begins to trust Tag and allows him to take her to the future where she's been told she'll be like a queen. Except... the future isn't exactly what she pictured it would be like. This new future is beautiful in many ways, but like her Aunt Theresa used to say, there's ugly hiding in a beauty suit, and Summer is beginning to learn that in this new future, there's a whole lot of ugly hiding under a beauty suit indeed.
The first chunk of this book was a little slow for me, as it was simply setting the scene and introducing the important characters, and it was really around 40% of the book where the story really picked up. By then, we were introduced to all of the New Youth (the kids who are meant to save the future), feel a little more established in this futuristic world that Wright created, and can start to see the truth behind the mask that the future presents.
The story itself, though it had picked up and I did find myself more interested in it, wasn't really my thing. The whole reason for the New Youth to have been brought to the future was...not quite my thing, I suppose. The whole idea of kids, ranging from ages fifteen or sixteen to their early twenties being brought from their respective time periods to a future to be essentially breeders, to bring new a new generation into the world and that to be their one and only purpose, didn't sit too comfortably with me, but I was happy to see that Summer felt the same way. While everyone else was interested in flirting and, as the main character herself puts it, finding a mate, she's interested in finding a cure to the disease that brought the future into shambles in the first place. I do have to say, however, it was an interesting idea, one that I don't believe I've seen before.
The reason I give this book three stars instead of four or even five like many of the other reviewers, is because I felt that by the time the book came to a climax, it really dwindled. It was really only the last middle part of the book that really made it stand out to me, and made me interested to know where the story was going and what would happen, but as soon as the climax happened and we were left with the question 'what happens now?', I also was thinking, 'what now?' in a more general sense of the question. The climax wasn't as exciting as I had hoped, and it left me wondering if there was a sequel to this book that would answer questions I had, but by the time I reached the end, I was glad to see it was a stand alone novel.
The characters are interesting enough for the most part, and while Summer does make for a strong female main character, I did often find myself thinking she suffered from the syndrome that a lot of other female leads suffer from in dystonia YA books: the 'I'm not like other girls' feeling. While it wasn't constant, it was brought up several times in how Summer saw her roommate of the New Youths that it was enough to bother me, and that was something I wasn't terribly fond of.
That said, I would recommend this book to anyone who's looking for a different and relatively fast read, and who enjoys characters who don't take no for an answer and aren't afraid to do what's right, instead of what's easy or expected. Would I personally read the book again? Most likely not, but I wouldn't rule out looking up other books by the author and seeing if there's something else I'd like to read.
January 8, 2017
Death Thieves by Julie Wright. A lot of wonderful reviews have already been submitted before mine. I have to agree with the author that "The world's changed." To be exact, the world continues to change. Is it great? Yes, if it depends on the smart people. "The future is dark, - says the author - but you will change all that." Julie asks us to think "What makes today different from tomorrow?" This is a key question. Indeed, what is in our future? Crazy Law and Crazy War? Human to human birthing infection? Ring law and IDR for each of us? Orbitals instead of iPhones? The author believes that "brilliant ... technology .." will save "mankind." We are waiting for a "future boy" (or future girl, it doesn't matter). And nowadays is not a moment "to be picky." Follow kind author's recommendation and think about things long enough to know what you need to do in order your children will not say that "This future is your fault, not mine." While reading Death Thieves, look at your current life and then propose your closest future. This is a good tool. The end of the novel is full of great hope. We stay together with Summer and Tag and still believe in human happiness. Reading this book is "the sliver of time where we make the right decisions for our lives." According to the author "it's time for us to live." This is true.
I was happy to knew about such wonderful writer as Julie Wright is. Thanks a lot for this book. But I knew about it due to dear Kathy (inspiredKathy). Thank you so much, Kathy.
I was happy to knew about such wonderful writer as Julie Wright is. Thanks a lot for this book. But I knew about it due to dear Kathy (inspiredKathy). Thank you so much, Kathy.
July 8, 2017
I don't like the title of this book. It doesn't portray how complex and interesting the story between the covers is. Summer and Winter are twins that have helped each other survive a difficult childhood. Summer has made sacrifices her whole life to make sure Winter has a bright future. Then one day she decides to go out to lunch with her boyfriend and the car crashes on the way back to school. Summer would have died, but at the moment of her death a mysterious figure pulls her from the crash and from her time. Tag is a soldier from the future sent to rescue and bring back teenagers that are
clean from a disease that is plaguing the future with infertility and insanity.
Summer fights Tag and the journey to the future takes longer than normal, giving them time to get to know each other and for Summer to grieve her own 'death'.
However things in the future are not as they seem and Summer is determined to figure out the truth and help Winter one last time.
This story is amazing, interesting, fun, complicated and had just the right amount of romance and humor. I really liked the main characters and many of the minor ones as well. The only flaw it has is it was too short. It really could have been two books. Some plot points were left unanswered and the pace had to be fast to get everything in.
Violence: quite a bit, car crashes, beating, tazing, attempted rape. Sex: just kissing. Language: no foul language.
clean from a disease that is plaguing the future with infertility and insanity.
Summer fights Tag and the journey to the future takes longer than normal, giving them time to get to know each other and for Summer to grieve her own 'death'.
However things in the future are not as they seem and Summer is determined to figure out the truth and help Winter one last time.
This story is amazing, interesting, fun, complicated and had just the right amount of romance and humor. I really liked the main characters and many of the minor ones as well. The only flaw it has is it was too short. It really could have been two books. Some plot points were left unanswered and the pace had to be fast to get everything in.
Violence: quite a bit, car crashes, beating, tazing, attempted rape. Sex: just kissing. Language: no foul language.
November 13, 2016
Sometimes you come across a book that makes you think. It makes
you think about your actions and the difference that one person
can make. This book did that for me.It was a little bizarre at
first, with Summer being in a car accident, and being taken to
the future to restart the human race.
Summer is a teen who is dealing with some hard things. She and
her twin sister, Winter, live with a relative. Their father has
not been a part of their lives and their mother has passed away.
They are different in personality, but bonded and there for each
other.
Summer is a little rebellious. She does not take things at face
value. She questions. She follows her conscience. She pushes the
limits. Her personality makes a very interesting story. I love
that she is a strong character with high morals. She doesn't
give in or up when faced with hard choices. She takes the
difficult road to make things better for society, instead of
thinking of just herself. She looks beneath the surface of a
problem and tries to find solutions.
FUll of twists and turns and unexpected craziness its a great
young adult novel that is definitely worth the read.
If you are into history you will love the nazi german
futuristicness. If you are into strong women that can change
their fate you will love it.
4 stars
you think about your actions and the difference that one person
can make. This book did that for me.It was a little bizarre at
first, with Summer being in a car accident, and being taken to
the future to restart the human race.
Summer is a teen who is dealing with some hard things. She and
her twin sister, Winter, live with a relative. Their father has
not been a part of their lives and their mother has passed away.
They are different in personality, but bonded and there for each
other.
Summer is a little rebellious. She does not take things at face
value. She questions. She follows her conscience. She pushes the
limits. Her personality makes a very interesting story. I love
that she is a strong character with high morals. She doesn't
give in or up when faced with hard choices. She takes the
difficult road to make things better for society, instead of
thinking of just herself. She looks beneath the surface of a
problem and tries to find solutions.
FUll of twists and turns and unexpected craziness its a great
young adult novel that is definitely worth the read.
If you are into history you will love the nazi german
futuristicness. If you are into strong women that can change
their fate you will love it.
4 stars
October 22, 2016
OMW! I would have never thought I will LOVE this book!! My genres are more in the serious / family dramas! I would sometimes just pick a book out of curiosity of the cover and that is what happens here.
Julie wright definitely gained a follower with this book read! First of all Julie the cover attracted me and then you quick an captivating method of story line seriously had me hooked till the last page.
The first and second chapter about the twins and their teenage drama were light hearted and maybe the short prologue I have read of the twins being orphans, had me thinking this will be like my Jodi Picoult stories.... how wrong were I??
This futuristic / but still life drama and romance combined book, had me turning pages eagerly to learn what is happening with the love between Summer and Tag first of all. Then with the part of suspense and nerve ending bits when Summer wanted to explore the "new world" she's not allowed in and the end part where she got so upset with the "system" that she confronted the creator himself. Prof. Raik - WOW!
On one end I thought maybe the story will go into her really developing a cure for the disease and that is how she and Tag will get together again..but Julie you surprised me just again.
All in All - AWESOME AND A MUST READ!!
Julie wright definitely gained a follower with this book read! First of all Julie the cover attracted me and then you quick an captivating method of story line seriously had me hooked till the last page.
The first and second chapter about the twins and their teenage drama were light hearted and maybe the short prologue I have read of the twins being orphans, had me thinking this will be like my Jodi Picoult stories.... how wrong were I??
This futuristic / but still life drama and romance combined book, had me turning pages eagerly to learn what is happening with the love between Summer and Tag first of all. Then with the part of suspense and nerve ending bits when Summer wanted to explore the "new world" she's not allowed in and the end part where she got so upset with the "system" that she confronted the creator himself. Prof. Raik - WOW!
On one end I thought maybe the story will go into her really developing a cure for the disease and that is how she and Tag will get together again..but Julie you surprised me just again.
All in All - AWESOME AND A MUST READ!!
November 10, 2016
Summer and her twin sister Winter are seventeen years old. Winter is the good twin with great goals and a hard working attitude. Summer is more mediocre and finds herself in trouble sneaking out with her boyfriend and such. One day Winter decides to cut class to have lunch with her boyfriend and finds herself facing a truck driving right for her. But then she is seeing the accident from a distance and a stranger name Tag is explaining that he can save her from the accident but he has to take her to the future. In the future, people are affected by a virus that leaves them sterile. Summer has the chance to be the savior for the human race.
I love how this story comes together. Summer loves her sister dearly and both have a history in foster care then with Theresa when she claims the girls. But Summer doesn’t really like rules. I love the interaction between her and Tag. He has his own baggage but cares for Summer. I loved the idea of a future where humans are sterile and the time traveling to save them.
This story did have a little bit of a lag but the paced picked up quickly. This is a great story. I cannot wait to read more from Julie Wright.
I received Death Thieves from eBooks for Review for free. This has in no way influenced my opinion of this book.
I love how this story comes together. Summer loves her sister dearly and both have a history in foster care then with Theresa when she claims the girls. But Summer doesn’t really like rules. I love the interaction between her and Tag. He has his own baggage but cares for Summer. I loved the idea of a future where humans are sterile and the time traveling to save them.
This story did have a little bit of a lag but the paced picked up quickly. This is a great story. I cannot wait to read more from Julie Wright.
I received Death Thieves from eBooks for Review for free. This has in no way influenced my opinion of this book.
January 17, 2021
In the future, everyone has a disease that means the entire human race is sterile. Or, if they have children (this part lost me), there is a 2/3 chance that child will turn out to be crazy. Summer is taken from her time to act as a clean bloodline, someone who can have healthy, sane children. As long as you ignore the fact they invented time travel but not gene sequencing, it is a plausible and interesting dilemma and the scientists who basically kidnap these kids and lead them into a life as pampered slaves—well, Summer feels like they have good intentions.
Until she finds out that they don't. (For some reason.)
The beginning promised to be a boring teen drama. The middle was an exciting dystopian sci-fi with a forbidden romance and a deadly social problem. The ending tied it all up with a bow.
I was disappointed in the bow. Or at least, it should have been harder. After all the problems raised and possibilities of fixing, it was a let down to me. (That's where it feel from 4 stars to 3, because I did have fun in the middle.) Can't say more without spoiling it.
I mostly enjoyed reading it and I thought it had some interesting questions, so I would recommend it as long as you keep in mind it's a time travel story and thus will not behave logically :p
Until she finds out that they don't. (For some reason.)
The beginning promised to be a boring teen drama. The middle was an exciting dystopian sci-fi with a forbidden romance and a deadly social problem. The ending tied it all up with a bow.
I was disappointed in the bow. Or at least, it should have been harder. After all the problems raised and possibilities of fixing, it was a let down to me. (That's where it feel from 4 stars to 3, because I did have fun in the middle.) Can't say more without spoiling it.
I mostly enjoyed reading it and I thought it had some interesting questions, so I would recommend it as long as you keep in mind it's a time travel story and thus will not behave logically :p
November 14, 2016
Disclosure: I was given this book for review in exchange for an honest review.
While I entered this book without any knowledge of the author or the story, I was a pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed reading this light sci-fi romance tale. While aimed at a very different reader (presumably young women) than myself (27yr old male), I enjoyed the sci-fi aspects of the story: the time traveling wrist devices, the dystopian future where babies are an increasing rarity and finally the mysterious professor who controls much of society through his soldiers.
While the love story seemed stereotypically romanticized, the protagonist, Summer Rae Dawn was developed enough to be completely relatable and I found myself rooting for her throughout the book. She’s strong, smart and loving; all virtuous traits while still having the flaws of stubbornness and arrogance that present problems for a girl out of her time. The story is simple enough that it moves along with a pace that makes reading it easy and something that I would recommend to anyone looking to get a young female relative into reading who might like sci-fi.
While I entered this book without any knowledge of the author or the story, I was a pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed reading this light sci-fi romance tale. While aimed at a very different reader (presumably young women) than myself (27yr old male), I enjoyed the sci-fi aspects of the story: the time traveling wrist devices, the dystopian future where babies are an increasing rarity and finally the mysterious professor who controls much of society through his soldiers.
While the love story seemed stereotypically romanticized, the protagonist, Summer Rae Dawn was developed enough to be completely relatable and I found myself rooting for her throughout the book. She’s strong, smart and loving; all virtuous traits while still having the flaws of stubbornness and arrogance that present problems for a girl out of her time. The story is simple enough that it moves along with a pace that makes reading it easy and something that I would recommend to anyone looking to get a young female relative into reading who might like sci-fi.
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