Rated YA-MA discussion

The group read for October is now open.

If you need to talk about any major plot points (minor story details don't need to be tagged), please use this code to put your text inside of a spoiler tag and make a note of whereabouts in the book you're talking about so people know if they've read far enough to be able to click on the tag :

I bought this book just for this group read. Glad to be ending my reading slump in this group read with you all.

I am going to try my hardest to read this early in the month this time so I can come up with some actual discussion points!

My copy should be arriving today! Excited for my first group read :)

I'm going to try to read this one too. It sounds good, and it's been a while since I've read something like this.

oh my gosh, I'm so excited for this! I'm in, fo shizzle.

I've started it about 60 pages in (view spoiler)[Didn't know what to think when Darrow "died" on page 50 (hide spoiler)]. Stupid homework keeps getting in the way or I would have been done already. It is awesome.

I am on page 120 and am liking it so far (view spoiler)[ I was shocked when they killed off Eo and then Darrow so early on (hide spoiler)] something is reminding me of

I read this earlier in the year and absolutely loved it.

I started this last night, and only up to Chapter 3.

Right now the idea is intriguing but I'm still trying to get used to the language which is a little bit confusing.

I didn't have as much issue with language as I did with The Maze Runner. I am 80% in now and already cannot wait for the next book, It was a good choice for me to jump start my reading again. I love the nod that is given to mythology and world history. I even noticed at about 75% (view spoiler)[ the mention of a great war strategist "Wiggin" it must be a nod to Enders Game which seems to have some influence on this book also) (hide spoiler)] it makes me wonder what I missed because I do not know about that historical or fictional character.

Glad you got the book Wendy :)

Thanks! It just worked out, thank goodness!

That's funny because I didn't have trouble at all with Maze Runner, Chaos Walking... or even Downside Ghosts which all have different takes on language.

For some reason this one is making me struggle more. Right now I'm chalking it up to reading it when I was tired yesterday.

I'm up to chapter 3 now. I think it took a chapter to sort of settle in to the writing style but I'm warming up to it. I can see the comparison to Ender's Game, but I'm also being reminded of Wool.

Thoughts so far :

1. About the living environment. (view spoiler)[
I'm having trouble wrapping my head about anyone being able to live on Mars, even underground. I know they're working on making the planet inhabitable for others, so they're in a limited living environment, but it's still tough to picture. Although, this is future technology, because we can't do it now anyway...so that's probably why it seems impossible to me. (hide spoiler)]

2. About Eo.
(view spoiler)[I think something tragic is going to happen to Eo. Darrow cares too much for her. It doesn't seem like a good setup if this is going to be a trilogy. Maybe I'll be proven wrong, but it seems like happy relationships rarely last for an entire series.

It was kind of interesting to see that Darrow didn't seem to have any sort of feeling or inkling about being with Eo until after she declared they would be together and got married. Then all of a sudden, he's like "she's my air, blah blah." I had the thought : HAHAHAHA. He got laid and all of a sudden, he's into that! (hide spoiler)]

Yes, I'm weird.

Ha! I can read your spoilers because we're at the same spot!

You can read these too. :)

Eo - (view spoiler)[I got the same thoughts about Eo. Like somethign would happen to her that would be the catalyst for the series, like revenge or something... And I thought it was interesting that he said he didn't think of her until she waited for him, but then I thought that it kind of did make sense. Boys don't really think like that, right? So, it took him longer to realize what she meant to him...

Anyway, my worry about Eo stinks because right now their relationship is sweet and the part I've liked the most. (hide spoiler)]

Environment - (view spoiler)[I think you're right about this. I think it's the writing style, the language, and the world together is making it hard for me to follow. Maybe because all of it together makes it hard for me to wrap my head around it. (hide spoiler)]

Exactly. (view spoiler)[Boys are ruled by their male parts at that age. I could completely see her being killed and Darrow ending up on a mission for revenge. Either that, or something happens to pull them apart, to where they're on opposing sides of a war. (hide spoiler)]

I'm thinking that after a few more chapters, it will get easier to follow the world and political dynamics. I've had to switch gears mentally because I've been reading fluff for a couple of weeks. So I'm having to get back into the mindset of reading something with a little more detail to have to pay attention to.

I just passed the 200 page mark and things are getting very very interesting. (view spoiler)[The house business along with the fact that kids are expected to kill (or maim badly) each other really makes this feel like Harry Potter meets the Hunger Games :-P. The culling part made for an interesting read. I wonder if Darrow will ever tell Cassius that he killed Julian. (hide spoiler)]

Can any one share Pdf for this book

We can't because it's against Goodreads policy.

Christie, I can't wait to get caught up to where you're at so I can click that spoiler!

You can't give it to me in Twitter or in message or in any other site , I can't buy it :( help me please

We are not allowed, per the Goodreads policy to advocate sharing of copyright property. It's illegal.

I just finished and I really liked it. It was much mor political than I usually like to follow and I also usually do not get into battle things but this one for me worked fine. I didn't feel any difficulty getting into the language or the world building. I guess it was what I was ready for at this moment.

I'm at nearly 35% (chapter 15) now, and now that I'm grasping the hang of it I'm not struggling nearly as much anymore.

I (view spoiler)[cried my eyes out when Eo died. And not because she died, I cried for Darrows grief. His words made me cry. Broke my heart. I'm not sure how I feel about him becoming a Gold. I understand it, in terms of destroying the Golds from within, but I liked him as he was, lol. (hide spoiler)]

Wendy F wrote: "I'm at nearly 35% (chapter 15) now, and now that I'm grasping the hang of it I'm not struggling nearly as much anymore.

I [spoilers removed]"

I am glad you are starting to like it. At this point the story starts to take a turn. Regarding your spoiler (view spoiler)[ Darrow broke my heart also! I was shocked they killed her off so soon and make the family pull the legs - so horrible I cannot imagine. Keep reading (hide spoiler)]

Just started this one last night. I can't wait to join the discussion and read all your spoiler tags!

(43%) again, I almost (view spoiler)[cried when Darrow killed Julius. It's something about Darrows way with words during grief that gets me (hide spoiler)]

Wendy F wrote: "(43%) again, I almost [spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[ Darrow's internal struggle is so prominent in this story. He truly is a good person that wants to do good but has been put in a bad situation where he doesn't have much choice. Keep reading Keep reading (hide spoiler)]

Just finished the book! And it was awesome! (view spoiler)[I was convinced Mustang was going to betray them all at the end but was glad to be proven wrong. I cannot wait for the next book to see what Darrow gets up to in the ArchGovernor's household. (hide spoiler)]

After 9 chapters, I'm having a hard time connecting with Darrow. He is made out to be someone that does what he wants, yet is supposed to be so completly brainwashed by the whole "obedience" thing that he doesn't question the fact that the punishment for singing a song or doing a dance is death. The two personalities just don't go together so I'm not really sure how to feel about him.

I do know how I feel about the author. Every time I pick up the book, I find myself staring at his picture. He is yummy!

Now i gotta look!

to me he looks like a young Aiden Quinn mixed with Joey from Friends. Yeah he is cute :)

He totally does, yes.

I read a blog post a few weeks back thanking him for existing because... and then it showed a bunch of pictures of him, I think one was even shirtless. It was pretty awesome and funny.

I liked how he didn't soften the harshness and brutality of life either in a mining community or on the battlefield.

It's is kind of like the grass is always greener thing. Life is harsh all over and even if the grass is greener it is probably because there is dog crap in it.

I find PDF to the book , I start read it , I do not think I will can able over it this month PDF is 1747 page , Are you think i can do that and today 12/10 ??
I will do my best :)

Just I will need help from who have the book tell me the really number of the page that I will stop in every 3 day ?? Who can help me in that ?

I'm only a few chapters in but I'm enjoying it so far. I love that Darrow isn't eager to be a hero. So many dystopias lately have the MC as an eager leader but Darrow is all "nope, let's not rock the boat"

ETA: Or at least he is so far! I suspect something is going to happen to make him change his mind...

Shrouk wrote: "Just I will need help from who have the book tell me the really number of the page that I will stop in every 3 day ?? Who can help me in that ?"

The actual book is about 380 pages and not a hard read. I don't know how fast you read but do what you can and pop in for the discussions when you can.

Diane wrote: "Shrouk wrote: "Just I will need help from who have the book tell me the really number of the page that I will stop in every 3 day ?? Who can help me in that ?"

The actual book is about 380 pages a..."
I wish if I can buy the book , it will make the reading easier and batter to me !!
Any way I'm in Chapter two now :)

omg, Eo's scene (you know the one I'm talking about) absolutely slayed me. Considering how little we knew the characters by that point I was surprised by the number of feels.

I'm enjoying this one!

Starting chapter 37. (view spoiler)[Darrow slowly grows over the course of the book. I thought how he handled Tactus, getting whipped too, calling them blood brothers... that was so amazingly ingenius and such a powerful moment! (hide spoiler)]

I am really loving this book!

I think that (view spoiler)[Roque is going to turn out to be The Jackal (hide spoiler)].

All these comments make me want to go read it again.

I just finished!

Sooooooo good! I loved it! I don't even know what to say first.

I'm so far behind! Just got to part 2. It's been a busy week so I didn't do much reading on anything. But hey, I don't know whether to be happy or upset that (view spoiler)[my prediction of Eo dying was correct. I kind of had a "hah!" moment when I saw that it was about to happen. Was that messed up? (hide spoiler)]

Rachel, your first post is what I suspect will be true.

Wendy F wrote: "I just finished!

Sooooooo good! I loved it! I don't even know what to say first."

Nice. :) Hopefully, this means I'll be a fan too.

Diane wrote: "to me he looks like a young Aiden Quinn mixed with Joey from Friends. Yeah he is cute :)"

I don't see Joey but I can completely see young Aiden Quinn.

Speaking of Friends, has anyone see the 2015 Friends movie trailer? I am not fond of the idea of Friends revisited. The trailer looks cheesy.

Wait, what?! Is it for real? Cheesy or not, I'll totally watch it. It's my most favorite sitcom ever.

Maybe not. Maybe it's cheesy because it's fake? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V5hOm...

My bad. I had a friend tell me in a FB group that it was happening but this trailer doesn't look right. It just looks like a parody of old episodes.

Oh... damn, lmao. I have been following the news to see if there would be a reunion.