Blog Tour: Storm (Swipe #3) by Evan Angler (Review + 2 Giveaways)

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Published: May 7^th, 2013 (Thomas Nelson)

Pages: 265

Rating: 5/5

Goodreads ~ Amazon ~Barnes & Noble

In a future United States under the power of a charismatic leader, everyone gets the Mark at age thirteen. The Mark allows citizen to shop, go to school, and even get medical care--without it, you are on your own. Few refuse to get the Mark. Those who do . . . disappear.

Logan Langly went in to get his Mark, but he backed out at the last minute. Ever since, he's been on the run from government agents and on a quest to find his sister Lily, who disappeared when she went to get her Mark five years earlier. His journey leads him to befriend the Dust, a vast network of Markless individuals who dissent against the iron-grip rule of the government. Along the way to the capital to find Lily, the Dust receive some startling information from the Markless community, opening their eyes to the message of Christianity and warning that humanity is now entering the End of Days.

In "Storm," Logan and his friends are the leaders of the Markless revolution. But while some Markless are fighting Chancellor Cylis' army, the Dust is busy trying to find a cure for a horrible epidemic sweeping through the Marked. And it's difficult for them to know who to trust, especially when they aren't sure if Logan's sister Lily, one of the commanders in Cylis' army, is on their side or not. And all across the nation--and the world--the weather is become less stable, and a storm is brewing that bigger than any of them could have ever imagined....[Description from Goodreads]

 

Wow…just wow. This series gets better and better with each new installment. The intensity has built over the three books, and Storm doesn’t fail to captivate. Highly recommended.

I’ve really come to appreciate the world-building of the Swipe Series, especially after reading Storm. Evan doesn’t leave any detail unaltered to fit into his unique post-apocalyptic world. It’s fun in itself just to dissect the workings of it all.

Storm was very angst-y, more so than the last two books. There’s a bit more violence, and a lot of death. Nothing’s gory or anything, it’s just very emotionally distraught, and the connection readers have built up with the characters only proves to suck you into their emotion.

I loved the underlying theme of how we can only do so much in our own power. The Dust, Logan specifically, are heroes now. They have a super-hero complex. They’re a group of kids, hopping from one crisis to the next, saving their country (and the world) one step at a time. But in they encounter speed bumps along the way. They fall to rock bottom; who’s going to save them now? Who’s going to save Logan when he’s been everyone’s hero? I love how they all being to cry out to a Hero who’s strong enough to save them all.

I also liked how Evan kind of included himself in on his own book. I don’t want to give anything away, so I won’t go into detail, but it’s a pretty awesome concept of how he tied himself and his books into the plot of his story.

I’ve loved seeing Evan’s writing evolve in these past three books. Going off the ending of Storm, I’d say there’s a fourth book coming our way. Hopefully soon. J I’m not sure I can live with that kind of ending for very long. Storm is a great deal darker than either Swipe or Sneak, featuring many intense themes (and so much betrayal! Oh my word, the feels!). As far as family-friendliness goes, I’d say this is a good read for mature middle grade readers and teens. I was very impressed and can’t wait to see what Evan throw at us next.

Quick Content Review: *may contain spoilers*

Language: None

Violence: Mild-Moderate

Sexual: None

About the Author…
Evan lives without the Mark, evading DOME and writing in the shadows of Beacon.
Swipe is his first book. But if anyone asks, you know nothing about it, and you didn't hear anything from him. Don't make eye contact if you see him. Don't call his name out loud. He's in enough trouble already.
And so are you, if you've read his book.

Website│Goodreads│Twitter│Facebook
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But wait! I’m hosting a second giveaway! One winner will receive one print copy of Storm. US only. a Rafflecopter giveaway

Sneak (Swipe #2) by Evan Angler

Published: September 4^th, 2012 (Thomas Nelson)

Pages: 288

Rating: 5/5

Goodreads ~ Amazon

When Logan Langly backed out of getting the Mark and went on the run, no one thought he could survive on his own. Without the Mark, you can't buy food, go to the doctor, or use a tablet--you aren't even a citizen.

But when he discovers that his sister is being held in a mysterious hidden prison named Acheron, Logan risks everything to travel through an underground network of the Markless to rescue her.

Logan arrives only to find that Acheron holds more secrets than anyone could have guessed and that all his careful planning is worthless against a government that will do anything to gain absolute control.

It seems there is only one place to turn. But can a banned book with whisper-thin pages and warnings about the real meaning of the Mark really hold the Answer?

[Description from Goodreads]

If you haven’t read my review of Swipe, you can do so here.

Logan Langley is in much deeper trouble than he ever thought he could be. He’s now on the run with the Dust after escaping his Mark, and the adventure’s only begun. He’s still set on saving his sister, Lily, from the government, which is rumored to have put her, and countless other Markless, in a terrible prison called Acheron.  With the help of his fellow Markless rebels, Logan takes risk after risk to save Lily from a life of torture and misery…but circumstances turn out far different than he first expected.

I loved this second book sooo much better than Swipe. Sneak was much more fast-paced and felt less middle-grade. There were more plot twists, and was overall less predictable than Swipe. I flew through it and enjoyed every bit.

Logan is much stronger character in this book, and I really liked seeing that. While he has matured since the first book in the series, he’s not some big, fearless leader, either. He’s still afraid of things. He’s still under Peck’s leadership, and he’s not starting a rebellion single-handedly (that may or may not be a reference to another book…take it how you will). This “weakness” makes him connectable and relatable to the reader, which is obviously essential. I’m eager to see how he matures and develops further in book three.

I feel like there were more Biblical implications in Sneak, too; more so than in Swipe. It can be tough incorporating that aspect in to these types of books, especially in the YA genre, so I always like when an author manages to do that. Another thing that I really liked was the Markless signs and The River. While on his journey to save his sister, Logan and the gang follows “The River,” a trail of Markless helpers snaked throughout the country to aid other Markless in travel. This seemed very similar to the Underground Railroad of the Civil War Era. Markless signs were symbols strategically placed along The River to guide Markless along the trail. This aspect reminded me of Depression Era hobo symbols. I’m pretty sure Evan purposely added both of these things, and I loved the similarities and liked how they connected history with the future, which is where this book is set. (As a side note, Sneak reminded me of The Forsaken by Lisa Stasse. They could be book doppelgängers.)

I highly recommend this series to both middle-grade readers as well as teen readers. It would make a great read-aloud for families, too (maybe not with younger kids in the room, though). I read straight through it and absolutely can’t wait for book three, titled Storm. You can look for my review later this week!

Quick Content Review: *may contain spoilers*

Language: None (some made-up cuss words are used)

Violence: Mild (mention of torture methods used in a prison; a man is shot)

Sexual: None

Swipe by Evan Angler

Published: May 8^th, 2012 (Thomas Nelson)

Pages: 275

Rating: 5/5

Goodreads ~ Amazon

Everyone gets the Mark. It gives all the benefits of citizenship. Yet if getting the Mark is such a good thing, then why does it feel so wrong?

Set in a future North America that is struggling to recover after famine and global war, "Swipe" follows the lives of three kids caught in the middle of a conflict they didn't even know existed. United under a charismatic leader, every citizen of the American Union is required to get the Mark on their 13th birthday in order to gain the benefits of citizenship.

The Mark is a tattoo that must be swiped by special scanners for everything from employment to transportation to shopping. It's almost Logan Langly's 13th birthday and he knows he should be excited about getting the Mark, but he hasn't been able to shake the feeling he's being watched. Not since his sister went to get her Mark five years ago . . . and never came back. [Description from Goodreads]

I haven’t read a middle-grade novel in a long time, but this one was exceptionally good. Great, even. I will admit that I was bored with it initially. For the first fifty or so pages I was forcing myself through the book. It seemed slow, like the plot was dragging. There seemed to be minimal dialogue, too, which made it feel even worse. It picked up after that, though, and I was sucked into the plot, the mystery, the characters.

Some people describe this book as a dystopian, but personally, I wouldn’t. It’s futuristic, yes; it features an oppressive government system, yes; but it’s far from being dystopian for me. That’s entirely not a problem, though. I love the technology that’s laid out, and I especially love the idea of the Mark. From the very beginning, it reminded me of the Mark of the Beast, and that’s actually what spurred my intrigue in the first place. Sadly, it didn’t delve deeper into Scriptural references to end times aside from the Mark. With the Mark, a person can buy food, clothes, anything they want. They can go places and do things that the Unmarked can’t. Logan is on the verge of getting his Mark until he gets wrapped up in a mysterious person called Peck. With a notorious background of kidnapping kids, Peck’s one you’d want to avoid, but to Logan’s distress, Peck’s been watching him for years. And Logan has a feeling that he’s next on the hit list.

For once, I loved that the MC, Logan, wasn’t portrayed as a strong person. He’s young, he’s terrified at what’s happening, and he doesn’t know what to do. Authors, listen up: fragile protagonists are relatable. Trust me when I say that not everyone has a spirit like Katniss Everdeen. Most people freak out when put in life and death situations, especially young people. It’s refreshing to see a “weak” hero ever now and then.

Bottom line: While the beginning started out slow, once the pace picked up the story hooked me. I highly recommend this to not only middle-grade readers but also more mature readers. Though the writing is appropriately juvenile, I believe that older readers would also get some enjoyment out of Swipe. Very well written; I’m eager to pick up the sequel, Sneak.

Quick Content Review: *may contain spoilers*

Language: None (kids cuss with made-up profanity)

Violence: Mild (Some minor action and suspense)

Sexual: None (One kiss)