Kindred Reads {4}

Kindred Reads is my weekly feature where I recommend similar books. There's a mix of popular books, and fairly unknown authors and indie books as well. This is something that I personally wish I saw more of; after reading a book I enjoy, I often want to read similar books but they can be hard to discover!

These books contain similar elements, whether it's content, writing style, or other themes found in the stories. They are always books which I have read, and I will link to their review if I've reviewed them.

If you like...
Across the Universe by Beth Revis

You might want to read...

Under the Stars by Rebecca A. Rogers

Way back in July, I won a signed advanced copy of Under the Stars by Rebecca A. Rogers who is a self-pubbed indie author. I was thrilled to have won it (because the description sounded great), and I loved reading it even more!

Similar to Across the Universe, Under the Stars is a YA sci fi novel, but doesn't read like a total sci fi with confusing slang and books filled with man-eating aliens (not that all sci fi is bad, as I enjoy it). But Under the Stars is more like a book in a sci fi setting. And it's also filled with political intrigue, and a heroine thrown into a terrible situation.

You can read my five star review here.

A Long, Long Sleep by Anna Sheehan

A Long, Long Sleep is one of those books that tends to fly under the radar... and I have no clue why. This is a phenomenal book, also featuring a heroine who's been in a stasis sleep for... well, a long time. It has roots in the fairytale of Sleeping Beauty, but that's about it. The problem for Rose is that she's accidently been in a state of stasis for 50 years. And the world as she knows it is gone, and she's alone. Similar enough to Amy's situation in AtU, but they remain very different stories. The awesome thing about all three of these books is that they feature incredibly strong heroines, who are rather unexpected given the circumstances.

I HIGHLY recommend this to YA readers: and you can also read my five star review of it here, if you would like to know more.




Have you read any of these books? Did you enjoy them? Any others you can think of that you'd add to this list? Are there any other books you'd like me to feature in my "If you like..." post one day?

Five Star Friday!

Under the Stars by Rebecca A. Rogers Release Date: August 1, 2011
ISBN13: 9780385671538
5/5 Stars!

Recommended for: teens, young adults, adults who enjoy science fiction and political intrigue.

Summary: Most of the Earth has been ruined in the War of Desolation recently, leaving a planet very different from the one we know. Andrina, her mother, and her little brother Mattie are in search of a city where they can live and survive. The earth is under constant barrage of falling stars, and starvation and poverty is rampant. She befriends a gypsy boy and a group ends up finally making it to the city Legora where things start out better. Unfortunatley, there are too many people and they must send an ambassador to persuade the King of the New World to send supplies. Andrina is chosen, so she embarks on a journey to Valyad where she meets the king and she is thrust into a life she never wanted in the first place.

I was incredibly excited to read this book, because the description intrigued me so much and I read it all through in one night (last night!). It exceeded even these expectations I had for it.

I thought Rogers did a wonderful job and breaking the book into sections so that the story flowed well into each transition in Andrina's life. My one complaint is that this book could be extended into two or three books even, in order to give the story the proper attention and development it deserves. There are three main "sections" to this book; the first being Andrina's journey to Legora, her time in Legora and Valyad, then marrying the King and that aftermath.

Under the Stars is so unique from other books I've read. There are certain aspects which are similar to other stories (I'm thinking of Andrina's lot and being chosen to go see the king, similar to the Hunger Games lottery in a sense. aA well as there is a certain Cinderella aspect to it with Andrina's rag-to-riches story, and even Joan of Arc) but Rogers captures this story as her own and it stands out. This book does not fit in with the more popular YA genres coming out right now, but it could easily be read by adults who enjoy science fiction as well as teens.

What really made me fall in love with this book was the ending. It was perfect, and beautiful in its own way. I'm not going to spoil anything about this book and so I'll leave it at that, but I think this is a must read if you can get your hands on it.

I won an ARC of this book in a Goodreads giveaway by the author but this review is my completely honest and candid opinion.