Guardian Blog Tour {Review}

The Guardian Blog Tour is stopping by once again with my Review...

Guardian

(Proxy #2)

by Alex London

May 29, 2014

Philomel

YA/Dystopian/LGBT

The pulse-pounding sequel to Proxy! Inspired by The Whipping Boy and Feed, this adrenaline-fueled thriller will appeal to fans of The Hunger Games and Divergent.

In the new world led by the Rebooters, former Proxy Syd is the figurehead of the Revolution, beloved by some and hated by others. Liam, a seventeen-year-old Rebooter, is Syd’s bodyguard and must protect him with his life. But armed Machinists aren’t the only danger.

People are falling ill—their veins show through their skin, they find it hard to speak, and sores erupt all over their bodies. Guardians, the violent enforcers of the old system, are hit first, and the government does nothing to help. The old elites fall next, and in the face of an indifferent government, Syd decides it’s up to him to find a cure . . . and what he discovers leaves him stunned.

This heart-stopping thriller is packed with action, adventure, and heroics. Guardian will leave you breathless until the final page.

A fast-paced, thrill-ride of novel full of non-stop action, heart-hammering suspense and true friendship—just as moving as it is exhilarating. Fans of Anthony Horowitz's Alex Rider series, James Dashner's Maze Runner, Patrick Ness's Chaos Walking series, and Marie Lu's Legend trilogy will be swept away by this story.

Goodreads / Amazon / B&N / IndieBound

Last year, Alex London’s Proxy enthralled me with its electric premise, compelling world, and thought-provoking layers, and I was more than thrilled to return to this story and characters in its sequel, Guardian.

Picking up several months after the explosive and devastating ending of Proxy, in Guardian we find our reluctant hero, Syd, in a transformed world. With the networks disabled, the Patrons have lost all power and the Reconciliation is in control. Using the manpower of the Purifiers, the Reconciliation has either killed or imprisoned the once wealthy and powerful. But this new world is just as corrupt and dangerous as the old one, and now people are falling very ill. When the Reconciliation does nothing to stop this disease from spreading, Syd decides he must find the cure. But what he finds could change everything once again!

Guardian has a slower burn than Proxy, but is just as intensely felt and smartly written. I found Guardian to be less of a constant thrill ride and more of a palpable emotional journey for its characters. The complex and fascinating dystopian world laid out in Proxy has been completely deconstructed and turned upside down in Guardian. London does a great job of exploring this new world and giving it intriguing depth and meaning. And like Proxy, Guardian is filled to the brim with thought-provoking and poignant material. These are books that not only entertain and captivate, but really make readers think.

The world Syd and his friends fought so hard to save has drastically changed and this has had a profound effects on the characters I grew to really care about in Proxy. Syd has never been your common hero, in many ways he isn’t a hero at all. But that’s what makes him so compelling. Syd must fight with many personal demons in Guardian, deal with painful grief, self-doubt, and fear, and I felt his struggle immensely. There’s a character who didn’t survive Proxy (I won’t say who), and I was surprised by how much I, too, missed him/her and felt his/her absence throughout Guardian. Yet, London does a wonderful job of infusing so much of this character’s essence and spirit throughout Guardian.

There is a romantic plotline in Guardian between Syd and a new guy, and London explores this relationship in some absolute breathtaking and startling ways. This isn’t a swoon-a-minute, over-the-top, in-your-face romance, but it is electric and real and consuming and made my heart ache.

Proxy’s ending left me reeling, while Guardian’s ending left me hopeful!

My Final Thoughts: Guardian is an utterly compelling, intensely felt, smartly crafted sequel! Readers looking for a series that is as thought-provoking as it is entertaining, should definitely give these books a read!

MY RATING

Goodreads / Twitter / Facebook / Website / Blog

Alex London writes books for adults (One Day The Soldiers Came: Voices of Children in War), children (Dog Tagsseries; An Accidental Adventure series) and teens (Proxy). At one time a journalist reporting from conflict zones and refugee camps, he is now a full time novelist living in Brooklyn, NY, where he can be found wandering the streets talking to his dog, who is the real brains of the operation.

Guardian Blog Tour {Excerpt, Playlist, Giveaway}

I'm thrilled to have the Guardian Blog Tour stopping by today! Below you can read an excerpt, check out a fun guest post, and enter the giveaway...

Guardian

(Proxy #2)

by Alex London

May 29, 2014

Philomel

YA/Dystopian/LGBT

The pulse-pounding sequel to Proxy! Inspired by The Whipping Boy and Feed, this adrenaline-fueled thriller will appeal to fans of The Hunger Games and Divergent.

In the new world led by the Rebooters, former Proxy Syd is the figurehead of the Revolution, beloved by some and hated by others. Liam, a seventeen-year-old Rebooter, is Syd’s bodyguard and must protect him with his life. But armed Machinists aren’t the only danger.

People are falling ill—their veins show through their skin, they find it hard to speak, and sores erupt all over their bodies. Guardians, the violent enforcers of the old system, are hit first, and the government does nothing to help. The old elites fall next, and in the face of an indifferent government, Syd decides it’s up to him to find a cure . . . and what he discovers leaves him stunned.

This heart-stopping thriller is packed with action, adventure, and heroics. Guardian will leave you breathless until the final page.

A fast-paced, thrill-ride of novel full of non-stop action, heart-hammering suspense and true friendship—just as moving as it is exhilarating. Fans of Anthony Horowitz's Alex Rider series, James Dashner's Maze Runner, Patrick Ness's Chaos Walking series, and Marie Lu's Legend trilogy will be swept away by this story.

Goodreads / Amazon / B&N / IndieBound

Chapter One – GUARDIAN by Alex London

At night, they disposed of the bodies. There was no ceremony, no ritual, no remembrance.

“They’re human,” some argued.

“They were human,” said others. “Now they’re meat.”

“We have to study the infection,” said the doctor.

“We have to contain it,” said the counselor and gave her orders. “Burn the bodies.”

A work detail was tasked with the burning. One by one, in the dead of night, green uniforms with white masks hauled corpses to the pile. The corpses were webbed with black veins, their entire network of blood vessels visible through the pale skin. Dried blood obscured their faces and each had a single hole in the temple by the eyes, where the killing bolt went in. They were put down like livestock, burned like sacrifices.

As the bodies crackled, the doctor watched the flames, her face half in shadow, half dancing in firelight. “I believe there is a cure for this,” she said.

The counselor, standing beside her, nodded, but did not turn to look her way. “Your cure is worse than the disease.”

“You believe that?”

“It’s the truth. Your way is treason.”

“You’re in denial,” the doctor said. “This is going to get worse if we don’t stop it.”

“It’s a new world, Doctor,” the counselor replied. “We can’t turn back the clock.”

“Even to save people’s lives?”

“These”—the counselor gestured at the bodies—“are not people.”

“If it spreads?”

“Is it spreading?”

The doctor watched the young members of the work detail tossing the bodies on the pyre. They moved with the assurance of youth, the kind of attitude that allowed them to stare infection and death in the face and believe it would never touch them. “I don’t know.”

“It is your job to know.”

“I can hardly understand it. The blood turns against the body. Itching, burning. Then, expulsion. Half of them bleed out.”

“And the other half?”

The doctor clenched her jaw. “They haven’t bled out yet.”

“They are in pain?”

“They can’t communicate, but we have to restrain them to keep them from scratching their skin off with their fingernails.” The doctor sighed. “So, yes, they are in pain.”

“Put them out of their misery,” the counselor ordered.

“But, we can still learn—”

“Those are the orders.” The counselor walked away, two green uniforms trailing her into the jungle. The doctor took off her white smock, pulled the blue gloves from her hands with a loud synthetic snap, and stood before the flames. She watched her latest failed experiments turn to smoke and ash in the bonfire, every bit of blood boiled away, with all the information it might have contained.

She had ideas, dangerous to share; but if she didn’t find a way, she feared, this sickness would go further than any of them could imagine. She would record a message in case she failed. She hoped that someone would still be alive to receive it.

You can listen to the awesome Proxy Series Playlist by following this link:

PROXY MUSIC

Goodreads / Twitter / Facebook / Website / Blog

Alex London writes books for adults (One Day The Soldiers Came: Voices of Children in War), children (Dog Tagsseries; An Accidental Adventure series) and teens (Proxy). At one time a journalist reporting from conflict zones and refugee camps, he is now a full time novelist living in Brooklyn, NY, where he can be found wandering the streets talking to his dog, who is the real brains of the operation.

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FOLLOW THE TOUR

August 7^th - Book Chic Club – Review/Interview

August 8^th - Cheryl Rainfield ~ Guest Post

August 9^th - Bookish – Spotlight

August 9^th - I Read It & Wept ~ Review (Proxy/Guardian)/GP

August 9^th - Like A Bump On A Blog – Spotlight

August 10^th - Book Escape – Top 10/ Spotlight

August 11^th – A Leisure Moment ~ Review (Proxy/Guardian)

August 11^th – Reads All The Books – Review (Proxy/Guardian)

August 12^th – Debbie Bookish – Review (Proxy/Guardian)

August 13^th – Unconventional Librarian – Review

August 14^th – Word Spelunking ~ Review (Guardian)

August 14^th – Kate Tilton's Blog – GIF Interview

August 15^th - Fangirlish – Review (Proxy/Guardian)

August 15^th - What A Nerd Girl Says – Review (Guardian)

August 16^th - Books To Remember – Review (Guardian)

August 16^th - A Bookshelf Full of Sunshine – Review (Guardian)

August 16^th - The Reading Date ~ Review (Guardian)

August 16^th - Reading Fictional ~ Review (Proxy/Guardian)

September - Bookish Tiffany – Review (Proxy/Guardian)

September - Bookish ~ Review (Proxy/Guardian)

Tour Hosted by:

Review: Proxy by Alex London

Proxy

(Proxy #1)

by Alex London

6/18/13

Pub: Penguin

Format: ARC

Source: pub

add on Goodreads

Purchase: Amazon / B&N / IndieBound

Knox was born into one of the City’s wealthiest families. A Patron, he has everything a boy could possibly want—the latest tech, the coolest clothes, and a Proxy to take all his punishments. When Knox breaks a vase, Syd is beaten. When Knox plays a practical joke, Syd is forced to haul rocks. And when Knox crashes a car, killing one of his friends, Syd is branded and sentenced to death.
Syd is a Proxy. His life is not his own.
Then again, neither is Knox’s. Knox and Syd have more in common than either would guess. So when Knox and Syd realize that the only way to beat the system is to save each other, they flee. Yet Knox’s father is no ordinary Patron, and Syd is no ordinary Proxy. The ensuing cross-country chase will uncover a secret society of rebels, test both boys’ resolve, and shine a blinding light onto a world of those who owe and those who pay. Some debts, it turns out, cannot be repaid.

I received an ARC of this title in exchange for my honest review

Alex London's Proxy has one of those premises that could either go really, really bad or go really, really awesome...thankfully, this book is all awesome! Any expectations I had were surpassed and I walked away from this book greatly impressed and thoroughly entertained.

Set in a bleak future, Proxy is a modern day The Whipping Boy. In this world you're either a have or a have not, there's no middle ground and the difference between the two is huge. The super rich Patrons live in a world of lux, every desire granted, every need met. Patron children often have a Proxy, a poor counterpart who takes the punishments when the Patron misbehaves. Knox is a Patron and Syd is his Proxy. Since the age of four, Syd has taken the punishments for every crime, wrongdoing, and naughty thing Knox has done, and he's done a lot. But when Knox is responsible for the death of a friend and Syd is sent to prison, their two very different worlds collide. The two must work together to save themselves and maybe the country.

Proxy is an edge of your seat thrill ride with explosive twists, complex characters, and excellent storytelling. Excitingly fast-paced, with deftly crafted chapter cliffhangers, this book keep me turning pages until I finished in the wee hours of the morning. Proxy is a multi-layered, multifaceted story brimming with action, romance, sci-fi elements, and breathtaking insightfulness

The dystopian like setting in Proxy seems, at first, like many other dystopian settings in YA books, but London has infused his world with such refreshing innovation, awesome gizmos and gadgets, and shocking hierarchy and social practices, that it quickly feels new in completely enthralling in unexpected ways. The immediate complex and layered world we find Syd and Knox in is, for the most part, greatly developed and laid out. The separate sections of the rich and the poor are each thoroughly explored and we are given a comprehensive and complete look at this world as a whole. My one big issue with the world-building is a lack of detailed backstory or history. There are definitely tidbits sprinkled throughout that explain how and why the country has become how it is, but I wanted something more specific to give me a wider understanding of the logical reasonings behind this world. Does this lack of sufficient history distract from the story being told? Absolutely not! And I really think this is more of a personal preference kind of issue.

The idea of Patrons and Proxys is such a wildly thought-provoking one and London really runs with this idea and takes it to some compelling places. There's a lot of poignant social commentary organically woven with the action, romance, and sci-fi elements. This is a story that will encourage discussion and serious thought on a wide array of topics.

London has created a wonderful cast of intriguing characters. Syd has such complexity and depth, and he's easy to relate to and like. Syd is gay and London has incorporated this part of Syd into the story in ways that feel natural and authentic and important, but not as if his sexuality is used for shock value or as an easy storyline tool. You really don't see gay main characters in YA books that aren't strictly contemporary, which is a shame, so I love that London offers such a relatable, well-developed gay character to readers. Now, Knox is a whole different story! Not gonna lie, I pretty much loathed this dude in the beginning of the book. He's arrogant, selfish, thoughtless, spoiled, pretty much a douche...BUT, he's supposed to be. I don't think we're supposed to like him at first. And I appreciated how consistent his character development is; yes, he grows and matures, but in ways that feel believable. Bravo Mr. London for creating a character that I hated (and wanted to kick in the balls) then tolerated then warmed up to then genuinely liked then had mad respect for *slow clap*

The ending? THAT ending! Y'all I have a love/hate relationship with the ending of Proxy. It's unexpected and explosive and heart-wrenching and powerful and made feel ALL the feels, but I just don't know whether I love it or hate it. Either way, it's a helluva way to end the book.

MY FINAL THOUGHTS: Proxy is a wonderfully complex story that is as entertaining as it is thought-provoking. If you're looking for a fast-paced, exciting read that will both thrill you and make you think, than definitely pick up this book. Alex London has gained a new fan and I will be impatiently awaiting the next book!

MY RATING

Alex London

Website / Goodreads / Twitter 

Alex London writes books for adults, children and teens. At one time a journalist who traveled the world reporting from conflict zones and refugee camps, he now is a full time novelist living in Brooklyn.

"Waiting On" Wednesday (58): Proxy

"Waiting On" Wednesday...is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week I'm excitedly waiting on...

Proxy

(Proxy #1)

Alex London

6/18/13

Philomel

add on goodreads

Knox was born into one of the City’s wealthiest families. A Patron, he has everything a boy could possibly want—the latest tech, the coolest clothes, and a Proxy to take all his punishments. When Knox breaks a vase, Syd is beaten. When Knox plays a practical joke, Syd is forced to haul rocks. And when Knox crashes a car, killing one of his friends, Syd is branded and sentenced to death.
Syd is a Proxy. His life is not his own.
Then again, neither is Knox’s. Knox and Syd have more in common than either would guess. So when Knox and Syd realize that the only way to beat the system is to save each other, they flee. Yet Knox’s father is no ordinary Patron, and Syd is no ordinary Proxy. The ensuing cross-country chase will uncover a secret society of rebels, test both boys’ resolve, and shine a blinding light onto a world of those who owe and those who pay. Some debts, it turns out, cannot be repaid.

Oooh, this one sounds like a grittier, more thrilling and updated version of The Whipping Boy. I'm already excited to meet Knox and Syd!

What are you waiting on this week?