Blog Tour Review & Giveaway:
The Ruins by T.H. Hernandez
I am so glad I was given an opportunity to participate in the blog tour for The Ruins by T.H. Hernandez. This is the second book in The Union series, a YA dystopian read that is full of adventure and yes, lots of kissing! On my stop on the tour I have a spoiler-free review, all of the book & series information as well a tour-wide giveaway! I hope you check this one out as it was an extremely enjoyable adventure!
The Ruins by T.H. Hernandez
Category: Young Adult, Dystopian
Publication: June 16th, 2015
Purchase: Amazon
Heartbroken, grief-stricken, and wracked with guilt, seventeen-year-old Evan Taylor returned to the Union, leaving behind the boy she loved.
Now, she and her friends must find a way to do the impossible – warn the citizens of the Union about an impending rebel attack without alerting the government and risking retaliation against her friends in the Ruins.
When every move Evan makes is thwarted, it soon becomes clear she’s being watched. Faced with a daily fight to stay one step ahead of her pursuers, she returns to the Ruins. But life in the Ruins has its own dangers, and soon she’s fighting a different battle – to stay alive long enough to discover the truth.
THE RUINS is the second book in THE UNION series, a young adult romantic adventure set in the near future.
Spoiler-Free Review:
[book rating=4.5/5.0]*Possible minor spoilers from The Union (The Union #1)
The Ruins picks right up where book 1, The Union left readers. Evan and company are back in the Union and they have to figure out what their next moves are going to be and to ultimately try and break the case of who is facilitating the upcoming rebel attack. All the while Evan is holding the weight of this impending doom on her shoulders and trying to save the people she loves both in the Union and the Ruins. I have to say that I actually liked The Ruins better than The Union! You can’t ask for more than that; with how a lot of sequels fall into that sophomore slump. Don’t get me wrong, The Union was great and both books share tons of the same qualities but The Ruins just pulled me in so much deeper and had me trying to read pages during all hours of the day! I had to finish, I had to know! Oh and these covers…just brilliant.
The Ruins explores a lot of dystopian themes; rebellion and love coming through most heavily. I happen to love it when there is a solid romance in my dystopian and I usually loathe a love triangle, but I actually felt that in this instance the duplicity of the romances worked in favor of the plot and not against it. Plus, it just meant a whole lot more of ‘make my knees weak’ kissing scenes! It also explores a lot of new adult themes of finding your place in the world, figuring out what love truly is, making your mark on the world and finding where your moral compass lies. I can’t elaborate because I am keeping this spoiler-free and that is so not easy!
I absolutely loved the characters in this series! They all felt so realistic and I wished they were my friends! Some of the new side characters from The Ruins didn’t resonate as much as the cast in The Union, but I think that is because in The Ruins the side characters really are on the sidelines now that Evan has a singular motivation and she doesn’t need anyone else to help her along the way or stand in her way. Speaking of Evan, she is headstrong and reckless but both of those qualities just fit her to a tee. She wasn’t going to go through some epiphany and just be a bystander and let someone else handle everything. She knew she couldn’t trust anyone anymore except her life-long friends so why not try to escape danger with those you trust most.
The Ruins is page-turner. It is action packed, suspenseful and full of swoon worthy romance. Evan is strong, determined, and a little reckless. Sure I had moments where I just wanted to say “What are you doing? You silly girl!” Other times I wanted to jump up and down and cheer “Go Evan! You can do it!” I had so many emotions while reading and I honestly cannot wait for the next book in this series!
If you like YA and or Dystopian I think you will devour this series! I love nothing more than discovering an amazing new series one that belongs mentioned with some of the most popular dystopian books out there!
Series:
The Union (The Union #1)
Publication: November 18th, 2014
Purchase: Amazon
After global warming and a second civil war devastated the former United States, two different societies rose from the ashes – the Union, a towering high-tech utopia, hugging the perimeter of the continent, and the devastated, untamed midsection known as the Ruins.
Seventeen-year-old Evan Taylor has an easy, privileged life in the Union. What she doesn’t have is any idea what to do with the rest of her life. She only knows she wants to do something meaningful, to make a difference in the lives of others.
When she’s kidnapped and taken into the Ruins as a pawn in a dispute involving her boyfriend, Bryce, her ideal world is turned upside down. What she learns while in the Ruins shakes her faith in everything she’s ever known, from Bryce, to her family, and even the Union itself.
Now Evan must choose whether to stay with Cyrus, the sexy, resourceful survivor who believes she’s in the Ruins for a reason, or return to the only life she’s ever known. But when she stumbles upon a dangerous plot that threatens both worlds, her decision could tear her apart.
The Union is a futuristic young adult romantic adventure.
Author Bio: T.H. Hernandez
When not visiting the imaginary worlds inside my head, I live in San Diego, California, with one husband, three children, two cats, and one dog. In addition to my day job as a technical writer and editor, I write young adult fiction. I love the intensity of teen emotions and the way they’re still figuring out life. When I’m not writing, you can find me with my nose in a book, hanging out with family and friends, hiking, or knitting. I’m obsessed with Facebook, young adult novels, bad lip reading videos, pumpkin spice lattes, microbrewed beers, and the San Diego Chargers.
Author Links:
Goodreads | Website | Twitter | Facebook | Pinterest | Instagram
I really enjoyed the review of Ruins. I thought it covered subject matter, synopsis, character development, etc in a well thought out, concise way. It definitely made me want to read this series.
Thank you, Karen! That means a lot to me, that my reviews are concise and help others decide if they want to read the books! Thanks again!