Shades of Earth (Beth Revis)

**

         Amy and Elder have finally landed on Centauri Earth and are ready to create their new lives there.  Upon arrival, they realize that their new home isn't all it was cracked up to be.  The shipborns don't get along with the frozens (who are now essentially in charge of the operation), and Amy is torn between the two groups.  It is essential that they find common ground, however, because the colony is under attack by strange aliens.  In a new world where it isn't safe to walk anywhere alone, Amy and Elder are determined to discover the secrets that are threatening their lives - including secrets that Amy's father may be keeping from them.

         I really enjoyed the first two books in this series, but Shades of Earth just didn't live up to my expectations.  It was super freaky, the kind of book I prefer to read during the daylight hours.  What with the creepy aliens, mysterious weapons, and sinister powers, the whole thing was pretty hard-core sci-fi.  I didn't mind the sci-fi elements of the first two books, but this was just too much.  Also, I found the ending upsetting.  Very upsetting.  Like I said, too much all at once.  Someone who was more into sci-fi might like this book, but I couldn't handle it.  I was so excited to find out what happened to everyone once the Godspeed landed.  In the end, though, I'm not sure that finding out was worth it.

Rating: 2/5
Completed: January 25, 2013

The Compound (S.A. Bodeen)

****

As far as 15-year-old Eli Yanakakis knows, the world has ended.  Having spent the past six years in the Compound, an underground mansion his billionaire father designed to protect their family from nuclear war, he can only believe something awful has happened.  What Eli knows for sure is that the door to the Compound is sealed for another nine years, shutting out most of the world - including Eli's grandmother and his twin brother, Eddy.  

         In the meantime, supplies are running low in the Compound.  Eli's tense relationship with his family is getting worse as his father implements disturbing plans for a new food source.  On top of everything else, Eli begins to suspect that some things in the Compound aren't as they seem.  A little digging reveals more secrets than he ever bargained for.  And when the pieces fall into place, Eli realizes that he was wrong: nothing in the Compound is as it seems.  

         

         There was nothing slow about The Compound.  Though I never got the explosive action that part of me was hoping for, Eli's revelations came regularly enough that I was always engaged.  I was kept on my toes by a unique plot and the suspense that only life-on-the-line stories can bring.  The basic outline of Eli's discoveries was a little predictable, but happily that didn't stop the book from being exciting.  If you're a fan of dystopian books but looking for something less mainstream, this is definitely worth a shot.

Rating: 4/5