Dualed by Elsie Chapman

Goodreads Blurb

You or your Alt? Only one will survive.

The city of Kersh is a safe haven, but the price of safety is high. Everyone has a genetic Alternate—a twin raised by another family—and citizens must prove their worth by eliminating their Alts before their twentieth birthday. Survival means advanced schooling, a good job, marriage—life.

Fifteen-year-old West Grayer has trained as a fighter, preparing for the day when her assignment arrives and she will have one month to hunt down and kill her Alt. But then a tragic misstep shakes West’s confidence. Stricken with grief and guilt, she’s no longer certain that she’s the best version of herself, the version worthy of a future. If she is to have any chance of winning, she must stop running not only from her Alt, but also from love . . . though both have the power to destroy her.

How many of us have been absolutely dying for this? ME! So I threw out all my rules about not getting ARCs about books I was going to buy (because my family has a rule of not buying hardbacks if I have an ARC. It's worked. So far.) and immediately traded for this! 

I started this in Nov. 30, then put it down, not because it was bad (I actually liked it a lot!) but because I got a book I'd really wanted to read, and because the way the story was executed...wasn't so good. And I was a bit disappointed, I guess. Don't get me wrong, the writing wasn't horrible at all! The plot wasn't that bad (besides being a bit rushed--someone gets killed about 1-2 chapters in, and there were so rash decisions), but...there would be characters mentioned that we wouldn't know and we had to figure it out ourselves. If this is one of those books where we peek into someone's life, it would make sense--if they new their own brother and sister they wouldn't think "my sister, Ehm", but as a book to be read, it was hard for me to grasp a hold on this new reality I was being introduced to. 

The worldbuilding was actually a little loose sometimes and I had all these questions about the world that were still left unanswered, and I'm hoping they're answered in DIVIDED, book 2! But I was just...disappointed that a book that seemed to set in such an intriguing world didn't focus on it at all.

And the character...West was just so hardheaded and rash and sometimes she acted like a brat. She made a lot, a lot, of insanely bad decisions that I knew would bite her in the butt later on. Also, even though she was supposedly a great killer and shot, almost every person she killed wasn't a clean death. She had to shoot them twice, or SOMETHING.

But that doesn't mean to say that I absolutely hated and despised it! As if. What I liked was that i didn't really concentrate on the romance at all (which didn't actually have much development...not that I minded much! Our love interest was pretty  awesome and I LOVED him!) and focused more on the plot and West's Alt, which definitely held me spellbound. West was definitely in danger as a striker and an active. Honestly, I'm not sure how she survived! But West is nothing if efficient with her weapons! 

And despite all I said up top (but really. I didn't connect with West. At all. And I feel like her brothers should've been named North and South and her sister East or something. That would've been EPIC.) Dualed improved a lot after the first 100 pages or so. Like, a lot. I knew exactly what was happening, the going ons and all, and I started to really appreciate how different it was from other dystopians. Instead of a budding rebellion, or West seeing the government as wrong or evil, she just does what everyone does--with the exception of being a striker of course! But this fact means that DIVIDED can go almost anywhere, because we have no idea what to expect!

I'm hoping that everything I complained about was fixed in the final hardcover edition, but...well, we'll see! In the meantime, I'd still pick this up! Do what I do--read the first 50 pages and, if you like it, buy it! I've found that not many books spiral downhill and usually get better as  you go on!

(As a side note, I think this is one of the series that can be iffy at book one, but get WAY better at book 2!)

Pages: 304

Genre: Dystopian

Series: Dualed #1

Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers

Release Date: February 26

Rating: 2.5--->3 stars

I'm BACK!

HEY GUYS! I'm BACCCCKKKKKKKKK!

A few things:

• I ended up blogging even throughout my hiatus. 
• I have no idea what to do in my spare time without the rush of blogging
• Apparently sitting next to a sick classmate in math will result in you getting sick. Who knew? *coughs* 
• I hate sore throats
• I'll be doing a 3 week STS next Sunday
• I realized I was two months ahead on scheduling *pats self*
• It's possible to have an emotional breakdown while reading. 
• I really, really, really LOVE all you guys

Tomorrow a review of Dualed! Expect it! :)

Man, these posts are always so short.

Also, just had to throw this in: How was Valentine's Day? Meet a new guy? Read a good book? Stuffed yourself with chocolate?

I was the third one.

HIATUS!

Hey guys! Sorry to throw this on you, but remember when I hit rock bottom about 5 months ago? It made me realize how much of a hiatus I needed and well...here's the post. Sorry guys, but I'm going to be MIA until the 16th! Yes, 2 weeks. Hey. I threatened half a year before! Be thankful! LOVE you guys, but you know how school is. Also, I feel awkward sometimes when I post a review on Valentine's. Or any holiday. Like on Thanksgiving. I was just like "errr...should I post something else?" but whatever. I'm rambling. I'll be back! But for now...
BYE!!!
-Nikki

Also, I have some of the most epic reviews after this.

VENOM READALONG WINNERS

Hey guys! Here are the winners of the VENOM READALONG GIVEAWAY! (With URLs, instead of names. :P)

Swag Packs

www.read-a-holicz.blogspot.com

http://eaterofbooks.blogspot.com

http://booksasyouknowit.blogspot.com

Signed Venom Hardback

http://jamiekrakover.blogspot.com

Signed Belladonna

www.sparkles-and-lightning.blogspot.com

I know there were a lot more entries, so it looks like some of you guys forgot to link up and enter! Tsktsk! 

And surprisingly, Annabelle won the Belladonna giveaway! I was in charge of the giveaways, in case anyone's suspicious of this win. A stroke of luck lol! I hope everyone had fun with this and enjoyed some VENOMness! 

DID YOU KNOW I GOT QUOTED IN PENGUIN'S CATALOG FOR VENOM?

Winners, expect an email soon! If you don't get an email within a day, please email me! 

Venom Readalong Week 4: 25-34

ITS THE LAST WEEK! Sadness. But winners will be posted tomorrow over here so check your inboxes SOON! 

I'm so sad this is ending, but it's been fun! 

Did you trust Falco the whole time?

DEFINITELY NOT. I mean...hello? You met him in a GRAVEYARD. But then again, I couldn't really blame Cass for falling for him...

As a whole, did you feel this book was sufficiently creepy and mysterious?

YES. YESYESYES. 

Were you surprised by the ending?

WHAT THE HECK. YES. I was *not* expecting that AT ALL

Do you think Cass made the right decision concerning the boys in the end? Would you do what she did (answer without spoiling!)

I loved it! I mean, she made the decision best for her and it was completely unexpected! Different from most love triangles, I'll say! Seriously. *SURPRISE*

Were you right about the murderer? If not were you surprised?

Ummm, I was dead wrong. Seriously. I had no idea whatsoever. But then, I'm completely dumb when it comes to this. So, YEAH I was surprised!

Now that you've met both, what Team are you? 

Falco. Always and FOREVER. 

What were your immediate thoughts after finishing? 

OMG. WHERE'S BELLADONNA?

So glad you've been with us so far! :D

Check out Fiona Paul's blog here!

Random Musings

To all you bloggers:

Does it ever get too much? I've now been blogging for over a year but I still feel like a newbie. And I'm wondering and asking all veteran bloggers--does it ever become too much stress or work? Because for me, it's hard juggling all these posts and blog tours, making sure everything is scheduled, that nothing is wrong, that there's no broken HTML, etc. It's hard and it takes up TONS of time. 

So I guess I'm just musing about the question of "Is it worth it?" Is blogging worth all the blood and sweat and, most importantly, time? 

Well here's my answer:

Absolutely. Blogging is worth everything. Honestly, I wonder how I ever survived without! I can't believe how bored I must have been. Hell, I didn't even read good books before I got introduced to Goodreads which I actually started using because of the blog!

The people too. I love the blogging community and even to the bloggers I've never even talked to--we're like a giant family. Mess with one of us and you mess with the whole bunch. And I love all my bloggy friends to bits of course! *Waves* Hey...

The blogosphere is just an amazing place to hang out and be yourself without worrying about people judging you on clothes and looks (because trust me, at least in my school, they do).

Not to mention all you guys, my viewers and followers! Whenever I get a comment I just want to hug you and blush. Because the fact that you read my post is amazing enough. That you took the time to comment is even more stunning and unbelievable!

And of course there are the perks, like sometimes getting inside information on some things, (for me) being less shy around authors, hosting blog tours, and getting ARCs and books! It's really amazing, actually. 

Yes, blogging is worth it. Every second of the work and sweat.

Metaphorically of course.

Thank God I lightened things up. I'm silly and sentimental things, when coming from me, tend to make ramble...and I'm doing that now aren't I.