Review: The Revolution of Ivy by Amy Engel

The Revolution of Ivy

Author: Amy Engel

Series: The Book of Ivy

Publisher: Entangled Teen

Pages: 400

Release date: 3^rd November 2015

Synopsis (Goodreads) Ivy Westfall is beyond the fence and she is alone. Abandoned by her family and separated from Bishop Lattimer, Ivy must find a way to survive on her own in a land filled with countless dangers, both human and natural. She has traded a more civilized type of cruelty--forced marriages and murder plots--for the bare-knuckled brutality required to survive outside Westfall's borders.

But there is hope beyond the fence, as well. And when Bishop reappears in Ivy's life, she must decide if returning to Westfall to take a final stand for what she believes is right is worth losing everything she's fought for.

Review:  4 ½ out of 5 stars

Contains possible spoilers from book 1, The Book of Ivy

I absolutely loved the first book in the series The Book of Ivy so The Revolution of Ivy has been one of my most anticipated reads for this year and it didn’t fail to disappoint with its thrilling action, swoon-worthy romance and amazing characters.

At the end of the first book, Ivy Westfall was forced beyond the fence, abandoned by her family and now separated from her husband Bishop Latimer. Surviving beyond the fence was brutal but Ivy held strong and made it work with the help of a few new friends.

Now forced to fend for herself, the first part of the book shows us how Ivy adjusts to her new living arrangements, the pacing was quite slow at times but it didn’t bother me as I was engrossed in her new life and budding friendships. The second part of the books pacing picked up and things between the Westfall’s and the Latimer’s finally came to a close, it most certainly wasn’t what I expected but I don’t feel it could have gone any other way.

All of the characters, secondary included played an Important role in this book. Ivy and Bishop continued to grow as characters, Ivy is the kind of character I love - strong, independent and determined but she still shows a softer more vulnerable side at times. Bishop is an absolute sweetheart! I loved the way he looked out for Ivy and stood by her side, they made the sweetest couple and I love seeing them progress from friends to more, the slow burn romance was done very well. We meet Caleb and Ash who are also beyond the fence, I loved their back story and the friendship they came to share with both Ivy and Latimer. Mark the ass also returns and I despised him just as much as I did in the first book.

The Revolution of Ivy is an action packed sequel with a sweet romance and a satisfying ending. I am really pleased that it was a duology and not dragged out. Amy Engel’s writing is engaging and her storyline has been consistent and kept me mesmerised from the first page; I am really excited to read more books by her.

Thank you to Entangled Teen via Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review The Revolution of Ivy.

About the author: 

Amy Engel is the author of THE BOOK OF IVY (out now) and its sequel, THE REVOLUTION OF IVY, which will be available on November 3, 2015. In addition, her debut adult novel (gothic suspense), THE ROANOKE GIRLS, is forthcoming from Crown in early 2017. Amy lives in Missouri with her husband and two children.

All images/blurb/author details etc. have been copied from GoodReads

Guest Post - Amy Engel (The Book of Ivy & The Revolution of Ivy) Balancing Writing and Life

I am really pleased to be able to welcome the amazing Amy Engel to my blog today to share a guest post with us on how she Balances Writing and Life.

Amy Engel is the author of The Book of Ivy duology published by Entangled Teen, the second book in the series The Revolution of Ivy is due to be released on the 3^rd November! It is amazing.

The Revolution of Ivy

Author: Amy Engel

Series: The Book of Ivy

Publisher: Entangled Teen

Pages: 400

Release date: 3^rd November 2015

Synopsis (Goodreads) Ivy Westfall is beyond the fence and she is alone. Abandoned by her family and separated from Bishop Lattimer, Ivy must find a way to survive on her own in a land filled with countless dangers, both human and natural. She has traded a more civilized type of cruelty--forced marriages and murder plots--for the bare-knuckled brutality required to survive outside Westfall's borders.

But there is hope beyond the fence, as well. And when Bishop reappears in Ivy's life, she must decide if returning to Westfall to take a final stand for what she believes is right is worth losing everything she's fought for.

Balancing Writing and Life

Balancing writing and life can be tricky, but I am luckier than many because writing is my full time job. It would be much more difficult to achieve the necessary balance if I also had another career. Having said that, I do have a family (husband and two kids) and there are only so many hours in a day. What works for me is to try and get my writing done while my kids are at school, but there are times that’s just not possible and on those days (or months during the summer), I fit in the writing when and where I can. I’m not too particular about noise levels, etc. when I’m writing. If I always waited for a quiet, peaceful house, I’d rarely get any writing done.

I think, for me, the biggest challenge in balancing writing and life is that there is rarely a moment in the day when my brain isn’t churning, thinking about what I’m writing or about to write. I sometimes feel guilty about this when my kids are talking to me and I realize I haven’t been actively listening because I’m lost inside my own head. At those moments I have to make a conscious effort to pull myself back and really be present. Sometimes it feels like I’m living two lives: my actual one and then the one that goes on inside my head and often feels just as real.

People sometimes say to me that they would like to write a book if only they could find the time. The truth is if writing is important enough to you, you’ll find the time. I wrote my first YA novel (trunked) when my children were very small and needed almost constant attention. It required sacrificing sleep, my favorite television shows, time with friends, and sometimes even showers, but I managed to get it done. I make my writing a priority, along with spending time with and taking care of my family, going for a run most days of the week, and reading in the late evening. Those four activities are the ones I won’t give up or compromise on; everything else has to be worked in around them. That’s my secret to balance: figure out what’s most important to you and go from there. You can’t necessarily have it all, but you can find a way to have what’s necessary for you.

About the author: 

Amy Engel is the author of THE BOOK OF IVY (out now) and its sequel, THE REVOLUTION OF IVY, which will be available on November 3, 2015. In addition, her debut adult novel (gothic suspense), THE ROANOKE GIRLS, is forthcoming from Crown in early 2017. Amy lives in Missouri with her husband and two children.

All images/blurb/author details etc. have been copied from GoodReads

Waiting on Wednesday - The Revolution of Ivy by Amy Engel

Hi everyone!! thank-you so much for stopping by today.

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly meme, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine which spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

My WoW for this week is The Revolution of Ivy by Amy Engel, I absolutely loved the first book so I’m super excited for the sequel.

Author: Amy Engel

Series: The Book of Ivy

Amazon pre-order

Publisher: Entangled Teen

Release date: 3^rd November 2015

Goodreads 

Synopsis. (Goodreads)

Ivy Westfall is beyond the fence and she is alone. Abandoned by her family and separated from Bishop Lattimer, Ivy must find a way to survive on her own in a land filled with countless dangers, both human and natural. She has traded a more civilized type of cruelty--forced marriages and murder plots--for the bare-knuckled brutality required to survive outside Westfall's borders.

But there is hope beyond the fence, as well. And when Bishop reappears in Ivy's life, she must decide if returning to Westfall to take a final stand for what she believes is right is worth losing everything she's fought for.

Review: The Book of Ivy by Amy Engel

The Book of Ivy

Author: Amy Engel

Series: The Book of Ivy

Pages: 304

Publisher: Entangled Publishing

Release date: 11^th November 2014

Amazon - TBD

Synopsis: (Goodreads)

After a brutal nuclear war, the United States was left decimated. A small group of survivors eventually banded together, but only after more conflict over which family would govern the new nation. The Westfalls lost. Fifty years later, peace and control are maintained by marrying the daughters of the losing side to the sons of the winning group in a yearly ritual. 

This year, it is my turn. 

My name is Ivy Westfall, and my mission is simple: to kill the president’s son—my soon-to-be husband—and restore the Westfall family to power. 

But Bishop Lattimer is either a very skilled actor or he’s not the cruel, heartless boy my family warned me to expect. He might even be the one person in this world who truly understands me. But there is no escape from my fate. I am the only one who can restore the Westfall legacy.

Because Bishop must die. And I must be the one to kill him

Review: 4 ½ out of 5 stars

I have to admit this is a book I was sold on based on the cover alone! I’m a big fan and I’m pleased to say the story within is just as fabulous.

Sixteen year-old Ivy Westfall has been training for a mission, to kill the president’s son who through an arranged marriage is now her husband and attempt to restore the Westfall family to power but she didn’t expect Bishop Lattimer and his kindness, determination and sheer will; he was very different to what she had anticipated and the plans her family had been plotting for some time began to show fault.

Peace and control are maintained by marrying the daughters of the losing side to the sons of the winning group in a yearly ritual.

I thought from the beginning of the book that I knew how this book would end, a number of things were predictable but the twists and turns the author gave us were pleasant surprises. I wasn’t fully sold on the plot, the Westfall’s came across as power hungry and the only thing I believe wasn’t really working in their current situation were the forced arranged marriages (to increase the population) and having no defined way of punishing people who commit crimes but otherwise within all societies there are going to be issues.

I adored the main characters, Ivy was strong, brave and politically opinionated, she was in a difficult position; having been forced to marry a stranger she dealt with it with dignity and questioned what she had always been told; Bishop was a sweetheart, his caring nature and kindness really endeared me to him and I was surprised by a few revelations; the slow to build relationship between them is the kind I enjoy, not rushed but snippets of affection and chemistry showing us the slow build-up of the potential romance to come; I thoroughly enjoyed their interactions although I do wish we had more page time with them together.

Amy Engel’s writing is compelling, the world-building is strong and the characters were all developed well; filled with betrayal, political scheming and a sweet budding romance, The Book of Ivy is a convincing dystopian that had me engaged from the very first page, I was shocked by the end so I can’t wait to read the next book in the series.

Thank you to Entangled Publishing via Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review The Book of Ivy.

About the author (Goodreads): 

I was born in Kansas and after a childhood spent bouncing between countries (Iran, Taiwan) and states (Kansas, California, Missouri, Washington, D.C.), I settled in Kansas City, Missouri where I live with my husband and two kids. Before devoting myself full time to motherhood and writing, I was a criminal defense attorney, which is not quite as exciting as it looks on television. When I have a free moment, I can usually be found reading, running, or shoe shopping. 

Waiting on Wednesday - The Book of Ivy by Amy Engel & The Dead List by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Hi everyone!! thank-you so much for stopping by today.

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly meme, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine which spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

My WoW’s for this week is The Book of Ivy by Amy Engel & The Dead List by Jennifer L. Armentrout, both sound amazing!

 

Author: Amy Engel

Series: -

Genre: Young adult

Amazon pre-order

Publisher: Entangled Teen

Release date: 4^th November 2014

Goodreads 

Synopsis. (Goodreads)

In a future where girls no longer control their own fates, sixteen-year-old Ivy Westfall has the power to give girls back their choices. If she’s willing to commit murder to do it…

After a brutal nuclear war, followed by famine and disease, the United States was left decimated. A small group of survivors eventually banded together, but only after more conflict over who would govern the new nation. Fifty years later, peace and control are maintained by marrying the daughters of the losing side to the sons of the winning group in a yearly ritual. This year, it is Ivy Westfall's turn to be married. Only her bridegroom is no average boy. He is Bishop Lattimer, the President’s son. And Ivy’s mission is not simply to marry him and bear his children. Her mission, one she’s been preparing for all her life, is to kill him and restore the Westfall family to power.

But Bishop Lattimer turns out not to be the cruel, heartless boy her family warned her to expect. And as Bishop and Ivy navigate a tentative friendship that evolves into something more, Ivy is torn between loyalty to her family and following her own heart. She is a teenage girl caught in an adult web of manipulation, lies, and the struggle for power. Ultimately, she must decide what sacrifices are worth making for the lives of those she loves.

Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout

Series: -

Genre: New Adult

Amazon pre-order

Publisher: Disney Hyperion

Release date: 31^st March 2015

Goodreads 

Synopsis. (Goodreads)

It’s Ella’s senior year of high school and she and her best friend Linds plan to make it the best year ever. At Brock Cochran’s end of summer pool party, the girls vow to have as much fun as possible before they head off to different colleges in the fall. 

But when Ella is mysteriously attacked on her way home from the party, everything changes. Ella’s carefree senior year plans disintegrate as she finds herself at the center of an attempted murder investigation.

Ella is determined to move on; to get her life back to normal, but she can’t seem to shake the feeling that she’s still being watched. Suddenly, the people closest to her seem the most suspicious, like the elusive Jensen Carver. In her seemingly safe West Virginia town, Ella starts to wonder who she can actually trust

What are most anticipating this week?

PS. If you are interested in children’s book reviews (3-12 years), I have started a new review blog (with the odd toddler snack thrown in) Here – Little Ones Read with a current Giveaway at the moment.