Today I am hosting a review as well as a giveaway, so be sure to scroll down and enter for your chance to win awesome prizes.
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| gorgeous cover! |
Pages: 321
Date: November 20, 2012
ISBN: 9780547863368
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
Source: Publisher
Summary (from
book jacket):
For
four weeks Maddie has been living in Los Angeles, trying to be good. But no
matter how hard she tries, something inside her won’t be sated. She can’t live
a life of half-truths and false pretenses. So one night, she says how she
really feels.
That’s
all it takes. One night, one bad decision, and Maddie is thrown into the place
she fears the most: a detention center where she’s forced to undergo secretive
treatment meant to quell her rebellious streak. The powers that be call it
rehabilitation. Maddie calls it torture.
Alone,
Maddie will not survive. But if she can find something to hold on to—an image
of Justin, their love—maybe she can fight. And if she’s really lucky, maybe she’ll
even win.
My Thoughts:
When
I read Awaken last summer, I was in
love with a world that is not unlike our own right now. The only difference is
that society has not completely fled behind screens—but we are choosing
self-isolation.
In
this sequel Kacvinsky really brings it full circle. Readers will follow Maddie
in her turmoil as she experiences what is really
happening in the detention center, and how she fights for her survival. After
all, no one who goes in comes out the same.
The
one element of the novel I loved was the deeper evolution of Maddie’s
character. In the first novel I felt as if she was not as developed as she
could be, and I convinced myself that the author was holding back for a purpose—that
purpose is revealed in this novel. In Awaken
we are given a snapshot into Maddie’s home life, school life, and social life
(or lack thereof). In this sequel we see her true transformation from a teen
behind a screen to a teen fighting to stay a part of life and all it encompasses.
What
struck me most about this novel is the pacing. The pacing for this one was a
lot faster than the previous. In Awaken
it took many chapters to finally get my heart beating and pages begging to be
turned. For Middle Ground, it took no
time at all. I wanted to know what would happen next in that detention center,
but mostly I was craving Justin. His absence in this sequel was felt by me
because as a reader, I am convinced that if Justin is on the page with Maddie,
all will be well with her. His absence made me question it—much like Maddie—and
made me see her true independence, the fact that she could and would survive on
her own. But why should she when she has Justin? Because that is life—sometimes
going it alone is the better option.
I
will say this about the detention center: WOW! I mean really, truly, WOW! I was
not prepared for all Maddie experienced. Many times during the novel I felt as
if I was there with Maddie, trying to fight through the therapy, the
nightmares, the depression. And that is all I am going to say about the
detention center, because I am afraid I will ruin important plot points.
This sequel has it all: romantic love, true friendship, absentee parents, tattle-tale brothers, detention centers...does it need anything more?
As
far as sequels go, this one really worked. I will say this: re-read the final
two chapters of Awaken before picking
up Middle Ground just to refresh your
memory of where Kacvinsky left us.
And
now it is time for a giveaway—and who doesn’t love a good giveaway?
a Rafflecopter giveaway All giveaway entries across the blog tour will be entered to win a grand prize: One (1) signed copy of Middle Ground and Maddie's Journal (US only). Seriously guys, this is awesome. I will contain my jealousy - GOOD LUCK TO ALL!
FYI: This is a continuation of the giveaway from the Oct. 19th post.
Happy Reading!
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