Thursday, February 5, 2015

Salt & Stone (Fire & Flood #2) by Victoria Scott ARC Review!


Publisher: Scholastic
Expected Publication Date: February 24, 2015
Genre: YA SCI-FI
Source: Print ARC
Rating: 4 Stars

Synopsis:
What would you do to save someone you love?

In Fire & Flood, Tella Holloway faced a dangerous trek through the jungle and across the desert, all to remain a Contender in the Brimstone Bleed for a chance at obtaining the Cure for her brother. She can't quit--she has to win the race, save Cody, and then fight to make sure the race stops before it can claim any more lives. In the next legs of the race, across the ocean and over mountains, Tella will face frostbite, sharks, avalanche, and twisted new rules in the race.

But what if the danger is deeper than that? How do you know who to trust when everyone's keeping secrets? What do you do when the person you'd relied on most suddenly isn't there for support? How do you weigh one life against another?

The race is coming to an end, and Tella is running out of time, resources, and strength. At the start of the race there were one hundred twenty-two Contenders. As Tella and her remaining friends start the final part of the race, just forty-one are left--and only one can win.


Review:
The highly anticipated sequel to Fire & Flood was just as action packed as the first. Tella and the gang face more obstacles in Salt & Stone; near-death experiences, actual deaths, heartbreak, and romance. Yes, surviving in the Brimstone Bleed isn't their only challenge that they have to face. They aren't just fighting for their loved ones, they're trying to find a way to bring the games down. By doing so, they have to play by the rules even if it means doing something they don't like.

By they, I'm not just talking about Tella and Guy. I also mean Olivia, Jax, and Braun as well. I don't just like thinking about them being the other contenders; the competition. But sadly it is that way. It was great getting to see the characters I fell in love with. We also meet some new characters along the way; Willow and Cotton. Both of these contenders are...strange. I can't say that I liked or disliked them. They just...were.

I think the only thing that really annoyed me most was how much Tella went against Guy. Tella wants to be seen as independent and an equal. Instead, she came off as immature and whiny. I get that a girl wants to show proof that there's more to her than just a damsel in distress. But there are other ways of showing that. I'll admit, she's grown so much since the first book and I still like her as a character. Aside from the fact that she can act like a little kid, I think she's funny and I love how kind she is.

Now let me tell you... I actually did cry in this book. I did! My heart is still broken and I won't tell you why because hello, I would be giving away something major. But in that scene (for those who have read you know what I'm talking about) it was one of the most heartbreaking scenes I've read. I look forward to out favorite characters finding a way to bring down the races. Those people need to pay for all the pain they've caused.

I couldn't do this review without bringing up the beloved Pandoras! I love, love, love the relationship between contender and pandora. It makes me want to have my own exotic animal to tote around loving me the way those Pandoras love their companions.

Overall, I loved the story and can't wait to see where VS takes the next book. The ending is full of wonderful promises. I highly recommend picking this one up.


*Thank you to Scholastic for providing me with a review copy for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Preorder!
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Synopsis:

Time is slipping away....

Tella Holloway is losing it. Her brother is sick, and when a dozen doctors can't determine what's wrong, her parents decide to move to Montana for the fresh air. She's lost her friends, her parents are driving her crazy, her brother is dying—and she's helpless to change anything.

Until she receives mysterious instructions on how to become a Contender in the Brimstone Bleed. It's an epic race across jungle, desert, ocean, and mountain that could win her the prize she desperately desires: the Cure for her brother's illness. But all the Contenders are after the Cure for people they love, and there's no guarantee that Tella (or any of them) will survive the race.

The jungle is terrifying, the clock is ticking, and Tella knows she can't trust the allies she makes. And one big question emerges: Why have so many fallen sick in the first place?
 


Buy It!!
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About Victoria

Victoria Scott is the author of TITANS (Scholastic, Spring 2016), the FIRE & FLOOD series (Scholastic), and the DANTE WALKER trilogy (Entangled Teen). Her books have been bought and translated in eleven foreign markets, and she is represented by Sara Crowe.

Victoria lives in Dallas with her husband and hearts cotton candy something fierce.


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